Danganronpa: City of Despair
by Breedersgirlfriend
Summary: Yet another group of Hopes Peak Academy students have been pulled into Monokuma's game of life and death. Yui Takaki and her classmates find themselves locked within the walled city Monocity. The only way out? Commit murder and get away with it. (Just like in the game, there's daily life, deadly life and class trials. It's also the length and layout of a Dangan Ronpa Game)
1. Prologue

Chapter 1

"Hey! Hey! Are you awake? Hello?"

I woke up to the sound of a boy's voice. I couldn't recognize who it was. Lifting my head slightly, I realized I was sitting in a desk. Had I fallen asleep in class? Embarrassed, I sat up, wiping the drool from my cheek with my hand.

"Oh! You're awake! That's good. I was worried for a moment."

It was the same boy that had spoken before. His voice was warm and friendly, but I still had no idea who he was. I looked over to see him smiling at me. His shaggy red hair curled around his ears and contrasted his electric blue eyes. A welcoming smile lit up his face, perfectly framed by his chiseled cheek bones. He was wearing a black, tight tank top that emphasized his muscles. He wasn't extremely buff or anything, but you could tell that he was an athlete. He was also wearing white basketball shorts that exposed his equally muscular legs, and he finished off the athletic appearance with blinding white, laced up runners.

"Is there something in my teeth?" the boy asked worriedly. He quickly placed his hand over his mouth, turning away.

"No!" I reassured. I hadn't realized that I had been staring at him. As I smiled apologetically, I tried and failed to remember his name. I didn't want to seem rude, but I had to ask.

"Um... who are you?" I asked. Maybe it was because I'd just woken up, but I couldn't remember anything about this boy. He sighed and shook his head.

"So you can't remember either, huh?"

Before I continue, I think it might be best if I introduced myself. My name is Yui Takaki. I'm a 17 year old girl living in Japan. I'm your average teenager; I go to school, listen to music, do chores, use the internet; boring, everyday, average things to do.

Even my appearance could be considered average. Long, straight, dark brown hair and brown eyes. I wear a green hoodie, and torn blue jeans. The tears aren't a fashion statement though. I've never been into the whole 'a worn look gives it character' trend. They're torn because I forget to go buy new ones. It's the same story for my sneakers, which are grey and covered in dirt.

Adding to my average persona is the fact that I'm an only child, I do relatively well in my classes, and I'm completely normal.

Just a normal girl, who's in an abnormal situation all because of a single letter.

Yep. This all started when I got that letter from Hopes Peak Academy.

Hopes Peak Private Academy is an exclusive, government-sanctioned school that only accepts students with exceptional abilities. It claims that its goal is to raise the future "hope" of the nation, and because of that it's earned the title of "The Academy of Hope." I just think that title makes it sound like the school is full of itself, but the title is nonetheless accurate.

Graduating from Hopes Peak Academy pretty much ensures success in life. It may sound like I'm exaggerating, but many of Hopes Peak's alumni are now employed in high positions in every field of the professional world.

So how do you make it into this amazing, unbelievable, too good to be true school? Well, there are two requirements.

One, you have to be currently enrolled in a high school.

And two, you must super-excel in your field of expertise.

There are no entrance exams, since the things tested in those are pretty much meaningless to the Hopes Peak higher ups. Instead, students are scouted by the Hopes Peak Academy's faculty members. Every student has a talent that they're great at. So great, that they're known as Ultimates. Again, a title that just screams "I'm better than you!"

Every high school student dreams of going to the school at Hopes Peak Academy. That is, every student except me. I'd much rather go to a normal high school, with normal people.

Why would I want to give up such an amazing opportunity? Probably because I'm not an Ultimate. I mean, t _echnically_ I am. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student. I wasn't scouted because of my non-existing, amazing talents; I won my place at Hopes Peak Academy through their nation wide lottery. That's right, I'm the luckiest student in all of Japan.

Or at least that's what everyone tells me.

Like I said, I'd rather go to a normal school, but when my parents opened up the letter inviting me to Hopes Peak Academy, they said I had to go. They talked about the guaranteed success, and said I had no choice in the matter. With my parents, it's their way or the highway. I knew that they just wanted the best for me, but I also knew that if I went to that school I'd just end up disappointing them. They expected extraordinary things, from an ordinary person.

Nevertheless, I ended up accepting the letter. I was one of the few ordinary students going to this extraordinary school.

And thanks to that, I'm a normal person, in this abnormal situation.

"So you can't remember either, huh?"

I looked at the boy confused. Either? Had other people forgotten his name before me? I took a breath to apologize, but he beat me to it.

"Can you at least remember how you got here?"

Huh? Of course I could! Why wouldn't I? Once again I opened my mouth to speak, freezing once I came to a horrific realization.

I didn't know how I got here. I didn't even know where _here_ was.

I looked around the room. It was a normal classroom with wooden desks lined up in rows. I was sitting in the back, facing the chalk board at the front of the class and the small clock above it. The walls were a pale green, and the carpet was brown. The large desk at the front probably belonged to the teacher, who was nowhere to be found. On the right wall was a closed, wooden door. From the looks of it, we were all in a Hopes Peak Academy classroom.

It looked pretty normal, excluding three strange things.

The first thing was a monitor next to the door. I suppose it wasn't too strange considering that some schools are rich enough to have monitors in every classroom, but I was odd to me. My old school was a public school that couldn't even afford new gym equipment, let alone a monitor for a classroom.

The second thing was a security camera at the front of the room, its blinking red light showing that it was on. For some reason that made me feel uncomfortable. I looked away, turning my gaze to the third and final strange thing.

The windows. They were covered with large iron plates. Why would there be something like that in a classroom?

As for how I got there? I couldn't remember. the door would be the most obvious answer, but I honestly couldn't remember anything from before I woke up. I turned to the boy, realizing that he was still waiting for me to answer his question. I shook my head slowly, and he sighed.

"Yeah. I expected as much. None of us can remember either."

Us? I looked around again. Somehow, I had been so focused on the classroom that I hadn't notice the other people in the room. Including the boy and I, there were sixteen students. Before I had time to say anything, the boy spoke again.

"I'm Kinji by the way. Kinji Saruwatari" He held out his hand. "I'm the Ultimate Jogger. It's nice to meet you!"

I shook Kinji's hand and smiled; he mirrored the expression. Somehow, his smile helped me relax, and after I let go of his hand, I decided to introduce myself.

"I'm Yui Takaki" I said. "I'm the... Ultimate Lucky Student."

I half expected him to recoil in horror. Why would an Ultimate student like him want to talk to someone like me? Instead, he just smiled even harder.

"That's awesome! It's nice to meet you Yui!" He laughed. I'm not sure why he did, but it helped lighten the mood. After he calmed down he held out his hand again. This time to help me out of the seat.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to everyone else Yui?" He suggested, pointing to the others. "You're the last one to wake up, so I'm sure they'll want to talk to you."

"The last one to wake up? What do you mean? Was everyone else sleeping too?"

Kinji ignored my question and pushed me to a nearby student, no doubt harder than he intended too. After regaining my balance I looked at the girl in front of me. She had brown shoulder length hair that matched the shade of her chocolate brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a white dress shirt, a black dress jacket and a short brown skirt. She added a splash of color with a red bow tied around the collar and accessorized with some black gloves. She also had knee high checkered socks and black sneakers. As I stared, uncertain of what to do, she looked at me up and down, seemingly fascinated with my appearance. Out of nowhere, she started speaking, causing me to jump.

"Are you a fan of fantasy adventure movies?"

"Um... what?"

She placed her hands out, forming a frame with her fingers. Looking at me through the frame, she started to nod her head.

"Yep! You would definitely be an awesome antagonist in a fantasy adventure movie!"

"A-antagonist?"

She put her hands down and continued nodding her head.

"Yep! You'd pretend to be the good guy's friend, but then you'd actually be an evil enchantress in disguise!" She grabbed my hand and started violently shaking it.

"I'm Mayu Akimoto by the way! I'm the Ultimate Director!"

I placed my hand on hers to get her to stop shaking. Unfazed, she smiled and let go.

"I'm Yui Takaki" I said. "I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student."

She nodded several times saying "I see" To herself. Suddenly, her head shot up, as if she had gotten an idea. As she walked away, I could hear her mumbling something about "Evil Enchantress Takaki." I watched in a confused daze before deciding that it'd be best to just not question it. Rather than standing alone, I moved over to a boy sitting in a nearby desk. He had dark, uneven, black hair, that almost looked green in the light. His dirt covered white trench coat needed a good cleaning. Seed packets stuck out of the pockets, many of them open and spilling. He had torn beige pants covered in grass stains, and ankle high beige hiking boots which were double knotted. His face was round, and his cheeks were rosy, and at the moment, he seemed to be very focused on something.

"Hi I'm Yui Takaki! It's nice to-"

I was interrupted as his finger shot up, signalling for me to stop talking.

"Sorry. One moment" He said, without looking up. "I've forgotten something really important, and I'm trying to remember it right now."

"Did you forget how you got here?" I asked, getting a surprised look in response.

"Yeah! That's it! How did you know?"

"Well, Kinji said it's the same for everyone. The truth is, none of us know how we got here."

Relief swept over him as he smiled, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"I tend to forget things easily, so I was kind of worried when I couldn't remember something like that." He turned to face me and held out his hand.

"I'm Sota Shikiba! The Ultimate Gardener! Sorry if I forget your name. It's nothing personal if I do."

I took his hand and shook it.

"Yui Takaki, Ultimate Lucky Student. And I don't mind if you forget it. Though I heard that writing someone's name three times on your palm when you meet them helps you remember it."

"Really?" Sota asked, his eyes wide with amazement. He began tracing my name on his hand with his finger.

"Yui Takaki, Yui Takaki, Yui... darn it."

He had already forgotten it!?

"Just Yui is fine." I said. Sota nodded and smiled, turning back to the desk. He began looking around the room, tracing and mumbling the names of the other students. I decided to leave him be. Turning around I walked into what felt like a brick wall.

"Ow!"

I looked up to see a boy staring down at me. Well, perhaps boy wouldn't be the right word. In fact, he looked way too old to be a student. He had short blond hair that barely reached his ears. His white tank top was tucked into dark blue jeans that were held up by a tool belt. The boots he was wearing looked heavy, and they matched his brown gloves. However, his most prominent features were his muscles. They were huge, and probably what I had walked into a moment ago, aka, the cause of the throbbing pain that I was now feeling.

"Hey! Watch were you're going!" He said. Obviously, the impact had hurt me more than it hurt him.

"Sorry" I said rubbing my head.

"Geez." He said annoyed. "Girls never look where they're going."

"What does being a girl have to do with that?"

He looked down at me and shrugged.

"Well, I've never bumped into a guy, it's always girls that run into me."

"Well, I'm Yui Takaki." I said. "The Ultimate Lucky Student." I figured I would just introduce myself and leave. This guy was giving me a headache in more ways than one.

"Akio Shigehito. Ultimate Carpenter" He replied before looking away, now uninterested in the conversation. Rubbing my head, I walked over to the next person. This time, it was a boy sitting alone in a desk by the wall. He was tapping his fingers on the wooden surface.

"Hello?" I said, trying to get his attention. He was wearing a pale green hoodie and black sweat pants that matched his fingerless gloves. The hood was pulled up, and tufts of light brown hair were sticking out. His skin was pale, and even with the hoodie on, I could tell that he was quite skinny.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Realizing that he hadn't heard me, I tried again.

"Hi! My name's Yui Takaki! What's your name?"

Without looking at me, the boy spoke. He seemed annoyed.

"Did I say I wanted to know your name?" He asked.

"No. I just..."

"Then don't tell me it. You're just wasting my time otherwise."

I felt the urge to snap back at him, but took a deep breath. Causing a scene wouldn't be the best first impression.

"I was just hoping that I could learn your name."

The boy sighed and finally turned to face me. His eyes were a dark shade of brown. In fact, they were almost black.

"I'm Bessihiki Madarai, the Ultimate Hacker. Now get lost."

I nodded and rushed away. Obviously, he didn't want anyone bothering him.

As I scanned the room for someone more sociable, I felt someone bump into me. Turning to see who it was, I found myself face to face with Kenji. Only, now he was wearing glasses.

"Oh! I'm sorry Kinji" I apologized, causing him to sigh. Now that I was facing him, I realized that the glasses weren't the only thing that had changed. His athletic attire had been replaced by a navy blue school uniform with golden buttons. His hair was neater than before as well. Had he just changed in the middle of the classroom? Or was this-

"I'm sorry to disappoint you" Kinji said, a sophisticated tone to his voice. "But I'm not Kinji. I'm Ren Saruwatari, the Ultimate Mathematician. His twin brother."

I felt my cheeks growing warm. Kinji had a twin brother? And I had gotten them mixed up? I turned my gaze to the floor to hide my embarrassment.

"Sorry! I had no idea. I really thought you were-"

"Kinji? Well, it seems you were mistaken. Also, is it not common courtesy to introduce yourself to someone when they've done so for you?"

"Oh! Right! I'm Yui Takaki! The Ultimate Lucky Student." I said quickly. Ren nodded.

"Well Yui. It was a pleasure to meet you." He turned to leave, but was stopped by Kinji putting his arm around his shoulder. Ren's legs buckled slightly from the impact.

"Oh! Hey Yui! I see you've met Ren?" Kinji said with a smile. Seeing the two of them together, I felt justified in getting them mixed up. Ren sighed and moved Kinji's arm off his shoulder.

"Yes. She mistook me for you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go finish my Sudoku puzzle."

Kinji pouted.

"Come on Ren! You should talk to people! It's not everyday you get to meet a bunch of Ultimate students!"

Ignoring his brother, Ren walked to the back of the classroom. Kinji followed him, waving goodbye to me as he went. Scanning the classroom, I noticed a girl hunched over one of the desks. Her hair was blonde and tied into two long braids. She was wearing a school uniform, with a brown buttoned up jacket, a short brown skirt and a white dress shirt. She was also wearing a long, light purple scarf covered in smudged pastels. Her eyes were a misty, pale blue and seemed distant. As I got closer, I saw that she was scribbling away on a piece of paper. Noticing me getting closer, she turned to face me.

"Hello." She said softly. Her voice was warm; almost like I was listening to the voice of a summer breeze. "My name is Koharu Koijima, the Ultimate Artist. We're really happy to meet you."

I smiled. She almost seemed too young to be a high school student.

"I'm Yui Takaki. The Ultimate Lucky Student." Wait. Did she say we? No. I must have heard her wrong. I went to speak to her again, but realized that she had returned to her drawing. Instead, I decided to go and talk to a girl leaning against the wall instead. She had long, dark hair that reached down to her hips. She was wearing a hot pink tube top and a white miniskirt. Beneath that she was wearing black tights and knee high boots. For some reason, she seemed familiar.

"Hi! My name is Yui Takaki! It's nice to meet you."

The girl turned to me with an annoyed frown. I felt my stomach tighten. Hopefully she wasn't going to be like Bessihiki.

"What do you want? An introduction?"

"I... uh... yes, I guess?"

She sighed.

"You must have been living under a rock. I shouldn't need an introduction, but I'll humor you. I'm Nori Ayuma, the Ultimate Actress."

I felt something click in my brain as I realized how I knew her. Nori Ayuma was one of the biggest teen actresses in Japan. She had been in countless movies that I had seen, hence her seeming familiar. Was someone like that really in my class?

"Wipe that dumb grin off your face. You're creeping me out. You got your introduction, so go away already."

Starstruck I nodded and turned away without a second thought. After a moment, I realized how much of a jerk she had been. Who would have thought that such a cool celebrity would be so mean in real life.

Was someone like that really in my class?

My annoyance was cut short by a chill running down my spine. It felt like someone was watching me. Was it the camera? No. That wasn't it. I looked around and noticed a boy standing near the door. He was staring right at me. I walked over.

"Um... can I help you."

"..."

The boy just stared, so I did the same to him. He was wearing a black suit, which seemed strange for a student. His tie was red, and his hair was pitch black. The only thing bright about him were his eyes, which were an icy blue. He seemed very mysterious and... mature? I guess. I couldn't think of any other word to describe him. He was definitely quiet. If this 'conversation' was going to go anywhere, then I'd have to be the one to talk.

"Well... my name is Yui Takaki. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student. It's nice to meet you."

"..."

"I guess you aren't much of a talker, huh?"

"..."

This was going nowhere. I turned to leave, but stopped when I heard a deep voice.

"I am Isoya Taiki. It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Takaki."

"Oh! Just Yui is fine."

Isoya nodded slowly, processing what I said.

"In that case, it was a pleasure to meet you... Yui."

I nodded and backed away. Though it seemed like something else had caught Isoya's attention. Following his gaze I saw a nervous girl standing in the corner. Her hair was a bluish black, and was pulled up into two small pigtails. She had round glasses which framed her violet eyes. The long black dress that she was wearing covered her arms and reached down to her ankles. Her shoes were black, her feet turned inwards, and she was hugging a book to her chest. She watched me walk over, and then looked away quickly. I guess she wasn't much of a talker either.

"Hi. Sorry to bother you, but do you mind if I ask what your name is?" I asked.

The girl looked up, but her eyes continued to dart around the room.

"If you want." She replied quietly. She reminded me of a frightened mouse.

"Well, My name is Yui Takaki, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student" I said to her, trying my best to not be to forceful. "It's nice to meet you."

The girl made eye contact just long enough to nod in greeting, and then her eyes began darting around again. Eventually she just stared at the floor.

"I'm Missa Johnouchi. I'm the Ultimate Pianist."

After she introduced herself, I was worried that talking anymore could cause her to faint. I decided to move on to the next student. How long did it take to meet fourteen people anyways? This was starting to get tiresome.

The next girl was relaxing near the chalkboard. Her black hair was pulled up into a pony tail, and she was wearing an orange turtleneck with black yoga pants. She seemed friendly enough.

"Hi! I'm Yui Takaki! The Ultima-"

The girl interrupted me with a cold stare. I didn't even know that was possible. She started talking, her voice surprisingly slow and monotonous.

"I don't really care about introductions. I'll tell you my name, and then you'll leave."

I nodded, not wanting to get on this girl's bad side.

"I'm Michiyo Yoshikuni, the Ultimate Baker."

I couldn't help but be a bit surprised. I thought that an Ultimate Baker would be more bubbly and peppy. Both her appearance and her title were quite misleading. Trying to escape her icy glare, I looked around. There were only a few people left, the closest being a girl in a white lab coat. The jacket was undone, and she was wearing a light blue t-shirt beneath it along with black dress pants. Her hair was blonde and pulled up into a ponytail, and safety goggles dangled around her neck. Before I could even start walking, she ran towards me.

"I was wondering when you were going to notice me!" She said grabbing my hand and shaking it."You were talking to everyone else, and I was starting to worry you would never talk to me!"

I tried to introduce myself, but once again, she beat me to it.

"I'm Koizumi Saki, the Ultimate Forensic Scientist. And you're Yui Takaki right?"

I nodded, trying to keep up with the conversation. She was speaking so quickly that it was making me dizzy. Before I could even take a breath to reply, she started again.

"I heard you introduce yourself to Michiyo. Sorry, I can't help but eavesdrop sometimes. You can find out a lot of information that way!"

I nodded and finally found an opportunity to speak.

"It's nice to meet you Koizumi, but I need to go meet a few more people."

Koizumi nodded several times and wished me good luck. This room seemed to be full of quite a few... unique people. One of the most unique individuals was standing by a sealed window. He was wearing a black top hat with a white ribbon tied above the rim, and a black cape with a V-cut pattern at the bottom. His light blonde hair was tucked into his hat, and was almost white enough to match his gloves and shoes, which in turn matched his shirt. On top of this shirt was a black vest, and beneath it were black pants. He smiled as I walked up to him.

"Hey there" He said, nodding his head. "What brings a beautiful girl like you to a dump like this?"

I should have felt flattered, but his tone made me feel somewhat sick instead. I decided to go with my gut and ignore his pick up line.

"Hi! I'm Yui Takaki, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"You must be lucky if you caught the eye of the great Hamano Hatsuhara." He flicked his arm out, revealing a white rose. He handed it to me with a bow. "The Ultimate Magician."

I took the rose and thanked him before heading to the next person. There were only two more to go. One of them, a girl, waved me down. She was tall and relatively muscular. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and some stands had fallen out. She had bags under her eyes, and was wearing black gym shorts with a white tank top. A blue hoodie was tied around her waist.

"Hi! I'm Yui Takaki. the Ultimate Lucky Student. It's nice to meet you."

The girl smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by an enormous yawn. Once she finished, she tried again.

"Sorry about that. I'm Asami Tanno, the Ultimate Basket Ball Player." She shook my hand and yawned again. Once I was sure she was finished, I let go of her hand.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "You seem kind of tired."

She shook her head.

"I'm fine. I just need-" She began yawning again, but continued to speak. "An energy drink."

She began to nod off, so I helped her sit down in a desk. She laid her head down and immediately started sleeping.

I walked towards the front of the classroom where the final student was waiting. He had scruffy black hair. His doctor's jacket was undone, revealing a black shirt with the Hopes Peak Academy crest on it. He was wearing black pants that looked quite comfortable.

"Hi! My name is-"

He put his hand up and smiled.

"Let me guess. Yui Takaki? You're the Ultimate Lucky Student?"

I nodded. It seemed like he had heard me already. He chuckled and leaned on the desk.

"It must have been tiresome introducing yourself to everyone, huh?"

I nodded. The other students were certainly... interesting? The boy leaned towards me and shook my hand.

"Well, I'm the last one, so don't worry. The name's Saruwatari Kureno. I'm the Ultimate Veterinarian." He gave my hand a quick shake and then let it go before returning to his spot at the teacher's desk. He looked down and pointed at a piece of paper. "Do you think that was left for us by the teacher?"

I moved closer to the paper and picked it up. It was a note written in crayon. Would a teacher write a note in crayon? I shook my head. That wasn't the important thing right now. Squinting my eyes in order to focus on the yellow letters, I began reading the almost illegible writing.

"To the students. Please meet me in the gym at 12:00."

Below the writing was a crudely drawn map to the gym. Before I could even process what I had just read, someone tapped me on the shoulder. Turning towards the person, I saw Mayu staring at me expectantly. She looked at the note in my hand.

"Is that from the teacher?" She asked. I nodded.

"I think so. It says to go to the gym."

Mayu nodded several times. She turned to the rest of the class and began speaking at a volume that no doubt could only be achieved by the Ultimate Director.

"Okay everyone!" She shouted. "The teacher's note says we need to go to the gym! So let's go!" She finished her sentence with an over dramatic point to the door. I had to lean back to avoid getting hit by it.

After a moment of hesitation, everyone started heading out the door. Some more reluctantly than others. It's not like we could do anything else though; The note was the only clue we had to help figure out what we were doing there. Merging into the line of Ultimate students, I left the classroom.

As I walked through the door, I expected a dimly lit school hallway. Unfortunately for my eyes, I was met with blinding sunlight instead. Shielding my eyes, I looked around. We were in a large open area with several buildings. There were cement paths leading to each one, dividing patches of healthy looking grass. This was definitely not Hopes Peak Academy.

I didn't have time to worry about that though, due to the larger problem that had presented itself. And I mean literally large. The entire area was surrounded by a very tall, very large, and very grey cement wall. To the right it branched out wide, and it curved around connecting the two sides. To the left, it became tighter and I could see something bright red at the point where both sides met. I'd have to investigate that later though. Right now, we needed to get to the gym.

Following both the path and the note's directions, we all made our way to our destination. It was a large building right next to the classroom. Inside, there was a wooden floor. The Hopes Peak Academy crest was painted in the middle, adding to the mystery of where we were. There were bleachers on either side of the room, and a small stage at the far end. Behind the stage was a large mural of a bonsai tree. Compared to the classroom, this room was much more open. The white and salmon tiles on the walls also created a nice, welcoming atmosphere.

The last student entered the room and we all grouped together by the stage. It was 12 o-clock, but the teacher was nowhere to be found. We all waited in silence. This entire situation was so abnormal that none of us knew how to react. The silence continued until all of a sudden, we heard a strange, high pitched voice. Not the kind of voice you would expect a teacher to have.

"Mic check! Mic check! Can you all hear me? Yes? Good!"

The sound was coming from the stage. We all turned towards it, expecting to see our teacher. Instead, we saw a bear. Not a bear like a grizzly or polar bear. It was a stuffed bear who was half black, half white, standing on two legs, and holding a microphone. Before we even had time to question this strange object, it spoke.

"Hello! I am your headmaster and mayor, Monokuma!"

It had moved! The bear had moved! Not only that, but it had spoken too. Had I really just watched a bear introduce itself? I had a lot of stuffed bears back home, but none of them were like this. Once again, we weren't sure how to react. This time for a different reason. The bear tilted it's head to the side.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongues? Or should I say, bear?"

He laughed at his own joke. I was speechless, but apparently Mayu had managed to find her voice before the rest of us.

"How can you be a headmaster and a mayor?" She asked. Was that really the thing that was bothering her? Monokuma tilted his head to the side again.

"Well, I'm the headmaster of Hopes Peak Academy, and the mayor of Monocity!"

This time, it was Asami who spoke.

"There's no city named Monocity in Japan." She argued. "You made that up!"

The headmaster shook his head.

"Nope! I most definitely did not! If it's a made up city, then how are you guys standing in it?"

Hamano walked up to the stage.

"You didn't call us here to talk about stuff like this right?"

Was he the one who called us here? I was pretty sure that the note was left by a teacher, and despite his claims, this guy didn't seem to be one. This entire situation was just confusing me, and Monokuma's next words did not help.

"You're right!" He said cheerfully. "I'm not here to talk about the city. I'm here to talk about you." He looked at each of us, slowly scanning from one end of the group to the other. "You all seem like pretty smart kids, so I'm just going to say this quickly so we can get moving. You're all stuck in this city, and the only way out is to kill someone without getting caught!"

He said it so cheerfully that I almost didn't catch what he had said.

"K-kill someone?" I asked. Had I heard that right? Was this some kind of joke? Monokuma sighed.

"Yes. Kill someone. Bludgeon, electrocute, stab, burn, drown, poison, et cetera. If you want to get out of here, you've gotta kill someone."

It looked like Monokuma was going to say more, but he was interrupted by Sota.

"This has to be kind of joke! You can't be serious! Right?"

"Nope! I'm deadly serious! Get it? _Deadly?"_

Once again he laughed at his own joke. We all stood there in horror. It couldn't be true! This was a dream. No. A nightmare. I'd wake up any second now.

"But anyways. I have a gift for you guys. It's in the box right there!"

Monokuma pointed to a cardboard box next to the stage. I was too frightened to even move. I was sure that if I tried to take a step, I would just fall to the floor. It was a miracle that I was even standing. Luckily, Isoya wasn't in the same situation. He walked over and opened the box before looking confusedly at Monokuma.

"What are these?" He asked. Monokuma tilted his head to the side.

"Huh? What do you mean?" He asked. "They're your E-handbooks! Or electronic handbooks for those of you who don't speak abbreviationese. Now, there's one for all of you, so come and grab em kiddos!"

I somehow found the strength to walk as I desperately wished to wake up. The nightmare was becoming too real for my liking. I picked up the handbook and turned it on. Immediately, it went to a page titled city laws. It seemed like Monokuma had programmed it to do so, since he began to explain almost immediately.

"Those are the laws of Monocity. You all have to follow them if you don't wanna get punished." After clearing his throat, he continued. "Law one. The students will live a communal lifestyle with no time limit inside the city walls."

No time limit? Did that mean that we were stuck there until... until someone died?

"Law number two. The time between 10pm and 7am is called "Night Time". During Night Time, students will be expected to return to their rooms."

So we at least had somewhere to stay during all of this. And how was that a law? It was more of a statement or a suggestion if anything. Not that I would want to be out at night anyways, just in case anyone here was actually considering what Monokuma had said.

"Law number three. Sleeping is only permitted in the personal rooms prepared for you in the hotel. Anyone intentionally falling asleep elsewhere will be punished. Rule number four, You may investigate the city as you please. There are no restrictions on your actions."

Looking around, I saw that most of the other students seemed as frightened as I was. However, Isoya, Ren and Saruwatari all seemed indifferent. How could they be so calm in a situation like this?

"Law number five. No violence is permitted against the city's mayor, Monokuma. Six; destruction of the surveillance cameras is forbidden."

How many laws were there? I almost wasn't even listening. I couldn't even begin to comprehend the situation. We were being imprisoned here by a monochrome bear until someone committed murder? It had to be a dream. Something as strange as this only happened in video games. Or really weird fanfictions.

"Law number seven. A "culprit" who kills a fellow student will get to leave the city. However, they must not let any other student know they are the culprit."

Wait! So only the killer gets to leave? Then what would happen to the rest of us? I was too afraid to ask. The bear, or whoever was controlling it, obviously had a sick sense of humour. I felt my skin crawl at the thought of what they might do.

"The last law is that additional laws may be added by the school at any time."

None of us responded. What could we say? I was sure that everyone was thinking the same thing as me. It had to be a dream. I jumped as I heard Kinji speak. He was right next to me.

"But why are we doing this? Shouldn't we be at Hopes Peak?"

Monokuma laughed. I didn't see what was so funny about Kinji's question. Everyone here was an Ultimate student right? So it would make sense to be at the school instead of this weird city? Apparently, I was very wrong.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "You already graduated!"

Monokuma's statement finally got a reaction from us. Every single one of us looked confused. Koizumi spoke first.

"What are you talking about?" She asked. "I've never even set foot in the school! How could I have graduated?"

The other students nodded in agreement. Monokuma was obviously lying. There was no way all of us had already gone to Hopes Peak. If that wasn't true, then the other things he had said could be lies as well. Though, this new found hope quickly disappeared when I saw Monokuma's smirk.

"Because I erased your memories of ever being there!"

He had to have made that up. He was lying! I turned to look at the other students. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing as me. Ren fixed his glasses and turned to Monokuma.

"Something like that isn't scientifically possible. If you want to fool us into thinking that all of this is true, then you should try your best to avoid science fiction as a theme."

Everyone nodded. Something like that was way too farfetched. Or so we thought. Saruwatari's voice pulled us back into the nightmarish reality we had been so close to escaping.

"Can we be sure about that?" He asked. "I mean. I remember getting the letter, but I don't remember actually going to the school."

"That's because we never went." Michiyo said monotonously. Saruwatari shook his head.

"But I think he could be telling the truth. After all. None of us can remember how we got into that classroom right?"

The room grew silent, only the buzz of the lights daring to make a sound as we all realized he was right. The silence almost became deafening. I opened my mouth to ask Monokuma if this was the truth, but I realized that he was gone. I'm not sure how long we stood there in silence, dumbfounded by everything we were just told. We had been thrown into this abnormal game of life and death, and had no way of escaping. And to make it worse, we had apparently all grown close at Hope Peak Academy, and then had those memories stolen from us? It seemed like something that could only happen in a manga, or a movie. But it wasn't fiction. It was real.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn"

The deafening silence was broken when Asami yawned loudly. Surprised, we turned towards the source of the sound. Next to her, Koharu tilted her head to the side.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked. The same question was on everyone's mind. Looking at the map, Mayu said "Well, the map says that there's a hotel, so... I guess we can go to sleep and figure all of this out tomorrow."

Saruwatari nodded. "Yeah! We can't really find a way to escape if we can barely keep our eyes open. Let's meet..." He looked at the map on his E-Handbook. "In the dining hall tomorrow morning."

Just talking about sleep made me realize how tired I was. Both physically and mentally. Using the map on my E-Handbook, I made my way to the Hotel. Part of me still believed that this was a dream, and that when I woke up again I'd be back home, ready for my first day at Hopes Peak. But I knew that that wasn't true. This wasn't a dream. It was a nightmarish reality that we were going to have to face.

An abnormal situation caused by a single letter.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The next morning, we all met at the dining hall. The hotel had been comfortable. Each of us had an assigned room, and each room had a bed, a table, a chair and a desk. My room had a navy blue carpet and salmon painted walls. There was even a bathroom, but I hadn't used it. I had been too tired to do anything but collapse into bed. In the morning, I was woken up by the sound of Monokuma's high pitched voice. He wished us a good morning, and then continued to blather on about meaningless things. I ignored him and tried to imagine I was somewhere else, but I couldn't hide from the horrific reality I had been thrown into.

As I opened the door to the dining hall, I realized that I was the last one to get there. Everyone looked exhausted, and there was no doubt in my mind that I looked the same way. Kinji ran over to me. Despite the bags under his eyes, he was full of energy.

"Good morning Yui!" He said cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded my head. Based on how tired I was it was hard to believe that I had slept well the night before, but that was the truth. Kinji smiled and nodded, and we walked over to where the others were gathered.

The dining hall almost looked like a school cafeteria. There were several tables, all of them grey. They matched the floor and walls. There was a door across the room that no doubt led to a kitchen, and a few windows that showed the scenery outside. I found myself wondering if this is what the dining hall looked like in Hopes Peak Academy. The place that we apparently had already been to. It seemed that everyone had decided that the idea of our memories being stolen was too far fetched, or, they had decided to just not talk about it.

Everyone else was standing or sitting near Mayu, who had created a makeshift pedestal using a chair. After seeing that Kinji and I had arrived, she began.

"Okay!" She said. "I think the best thing to do is split up and try to find a way out of here!"

Sota put up his hand. "Uh. Would it be better to be in groups of two?" He asked. "In case anyone actually takes the bear seriously."

Some of the students nodded. I didn't want to believe that anyone would try to kill, but it was still a possibility. Mayu nodded and came up with a quick solution.

"Okay!" She exclaimed. "In that case, everyone can partner up with the person next to them!"

I turned to talk to Kinji, but he had decided to go with his brother. Before I even had time to turn around to see who else was available, Koizumi grabbed my hand.

"Wha-?"

"I guess we're investigating buddies!" Koizumi said happily.

I guess I had no choice in the matter. She seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't take no for an answer. Once everyone had a partner, Mayu began assigning places. Koizumi and I were given the outside areas. As soon as Mayu finished, Koizumi dragged me out the door. I almost couldn't keep up with her.

It was quiet outside. I watched as the others each went to their respective locations. Koizumi turned to me, her eyes seeming to sparkle.

"So where do you want to investigate first!?" she said eagerly. I thought of the red object I had noticed before.

"Why don't we head that way?" I asked, pointing towards the end of the area. Koizumi nodded and once again I found myself being dragged behind her. Once we reached the end, we found the red object. It was a large door, at least twice my height. Was this door the way out? I turned to Koizumi, wondering if she was thinking the same thing. She was rubbing her chin and nodding, seemingly deep in thought.

"Um... Koizumi?" I asked, trying to get her attention. She didn't seem to notice me. She continued nodding for a bit before suddenly walking up to the door. She took the doorknob in her hand and gave it a tug.

It didn't move.

"Dang it!" She said. "I thought that that could be a way out."

I walked up to her and knocked on the door. Maybe someone was on the other side. While I waited, I turned to Koizumi.

"Well, it could still be a way out." I said. "It's not like Monokuma would leave the front door open."

Koizumi nodded several times, which I think meant she agreed with what I said. We waited in silence for a response to my knock, but nothing happened. I tried again and unfortunately, _he_ showed up, a large goofy grin on his black and white face.

"Knock Knock!" Monokuma said happily. I glared at him. He was the last person, or bear I guess, that I wanted to see. Koizumi however, went along with his little game.

"Who's there?" She asked.

"No one!" Monokuma replied, suddenly scowling at the two of us. I didn't even know bears _could_ scowl.

"No one who?" Koizumi asked. Did she really not see that Monokuma wasn't joking?

"No one is behind that door! So stop knocking! You're interrupting my bear-uty sleep."

No amount of sleep could make him look any less ugly. It would be best to end this before it got out of hand. I had questions and there was no doubt in my mind that he had the answers.

"What's behind the door then?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"I don't need to tell you that!" Monokuma said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "It would ruin the surprise!"

Koizumi finally caught on to what was going on.

"Then it's not a way out?" She asked. Monokuma shook his head.

"I'm not talking."

I raised my hand and knocked loudly on the door again, keeping my gaze locked on Monokuma.

"Didn't I say not to- Gah! Fine! All I'll say is it's not a way out. But you'll see what it is soon enough! Now stop your knocking!" Monokuma left, leaving Koizumi and I alone. Koizumi shrugged.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait then."

I didn't have any time to think about what Monokuma had said before Koizumi was dragging me along again. I was almost used to it at this point. We investigated the other areas and headed back to the dining hall to share what we found. The others were already there. Mayu waved at us as we entered.

"And there's Yui and Koizumi! That's everyone!" She said, probably to herself. She turned to the group. "We can share what we found now!"

Kinji was the first to respond.

"Ren and I searched the library. There were a bunch of books, and some ugly statues of Monokuma."

Almost immediately after Kinji finished speaking, Ren began.

"The library is also the only two story building in the area. The second floor is a balcony like structure that lines the inner walls."

Kinji had been so blunt with his description, while Ren's vocabulary seemed much more formal. It was almost scary how different the two twins were. After a moment, Sota began speaking.

"There's also a storage area. It's full of shelves with all kinds of things!"

Mayu nodded and added onto what Sota had said.

"Nothing that can help us get out of here though." She said. "There was just clothes and stuff. I guess there _was_ some rope, but even if we tied it all together it wouldn't reach the top of the walls."

After yawning, Asami joined in.

"Bessihiki and I saw some climbing rope in the gym too. But it still wouldn't be enough." Somehow, she started nodding off while standing up. Seeing that she wasn't going to continue, Bessihiki reluctantly finished reporting what they had found.

"The rest of the gym was exactly what you'd expect. A gym. You guys saw it yesterday."

He apparently had nothing else to say, so after a moment of silence Koharu quietly said "At least we won't go hungry. There's a huge grocery store with lots of food." She stopped for a moment, looking like she was trying to remember something. Michiyo sighed.

"There's a pharmacy attached to the grocery store too." She said monotonously. Koharu nodded and it seemed like she remembered what she wanted to say.

"Yeah. But make sure you read the labels. There's a shelf full of poison there."

Why there would be poison in a pharmacy? Actually, that was a dumb question. Monokuma probably put it there. Poison would be an easy way to discreetly kill someone. Not that I would try it. Luckily, before I could think any other negative thoughts, Isoya spoke up.

"We investigated the classroom, but our search granted no more information than what we knew yesterday."

Saruwatari nodded.

"Yeah, we did spend a lot of time there, so there wasn't much left to find anyways. On a different note, Hamano and I investigated the train station."

Hamano interrupted Saruwatari, signalling for him to stop talking. He turned to the rest of us.

"And before any of you ask. No. The train wasn't working."

What's the point of having a train if it's not working? This whole area was just confusing and I wanted to get away from it. I noticed Mayu checking the map on her eHandbook. She nodded.

"Alright, then next is the hotel! Akio and Nori were investigating that, right?"

Akio stepped forward while the latter mentioned just stood with her arms crossed. She looked like she didn't want to be here. Akio turned to the group.

"I wouldn't say that we investigated it _together_. She left halfway through."

Nori scoffed.

"What do you expect? Being around a loser like you was boring as hell."

"What do you mean a loser!?"

"I meant exactly what I said. You're a loser who's not worth my time. Not to mention you stink. Have you even showered in the last month?"

Akio was practically radiating anger. It looked like he would lunge at Nori at any moment. I decided to step in before things got out of hand.

"Guys, now's not the time to be arguing. We should be discussing what we found."

I could see Akio's muscles relax, so at least Nori wasn't in danger anymore. Granted, what she had said had definitely been uncalled for, even if Akio _could_ use a shower. The carpenter turned to me.

"I don't need a girl like you telling me that." He scoffed, turning away from me. "I looked at the hotel. There's a room for each of us, and each one can only be opened by the owner's key. That was pretty much it."

We all nodded. I noticed Koizumi shifting her weight from foot to foot. She was obviously excited to share what we had found. Mayu noticed this as well and gestured for her to speak. Koizumi began almost immediately.

"Yui and I investigated outside. We found out that all the buildings are connected by paths, the area is triangular, and there's a large red door at the triangle's tip."

Sota's eyes practically lit up at the mention on the door.

"A door!?" He asked. "Is it the way out?" I shook my head.

"No. Monokuma said that it's not a way out, but we'll find out what it is soon enough."

The sparkle in his eye flickered out as quickly as it had appeared. I guess he had gotten his hopes up.

Koizumi and I were the last ones to share, so Mayu took control again.

"So I guess that means there's no way out." She said. "But we can't lose hope! We can investigate again in case we missed something."

Some students nodded, but most of us just shifted our weight. Investigations weren't everyone's cup of tea. Kinji put up his hand.

"Maybe we could investigate separately, so we can cover more ground."

Mayu nodded. We _would_ cover more ground by splitting up, but I had this worrying feeling that someone would take Monokuma seriously. I couldn't investigate on my own. Mayu dismissed the group, allowing everyone to go their separate ways, and I scanned the room for someone to investigate with. I noticed Koizumi standing alone, thinking to herself. I walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. She jumped.

"Ah! Yui! You startled me!"

"Sorry! I was just wondering if you wanted to investigate with me."

Koizumi had been tensed up from the scare, but she immediately relaxed when I mentioned investigating. She clapped her hands together.

"Of course! I'd love to!"

So I spent some time with Koizumi. We re-investigated the areas that we hadn't looked at before, but couldn't find anything new. Eventually, we found ourselves in the dining hall again. I wasn't sure what to say, so we just stood there in an awkward silence. Suddenly, Koizumi turned to me.

"Hey Yui, do you like crime dramas?"

That was a random question, but it would be rude not to answer.

"I guess I'd watch them on T.V if they were on." I answered. Koizumi nodded several times.

"I love them a lot! My favourite part is trying to figure out who the killer is before they reveal it!"

She clapped her hands together.

"The shows are actually really accurate when it comes to forensics you know? My dad is the head of forensics in the police force, and he says they portray it really well."

I nodded, not sure why she was telling me all of this. I guess she was being more open because we were becoming friends? She took my nod as a sign to continue.

"Sometimes he lets me use his equipment, like fingerprint powder and luminol spray!" She turned to me. "You know what that is right?"

I thought for a moment. The name seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure where I had heard it. I think they mentioned it in a game I had played once. What did it do? I tried hard to remember, and after a moment the answer came to me.

"It's a spray that lets you see traces of blood, right?"

"Yeah! It's really cool! I haven't gotten to use it with any real blood, but I will one day!"

That wasn't exactly a good thing to look forward to doing. If there's blood somewhere, it had to have come from someone. That fact didn't seem to phase Koizumi.

"I'll let you use some of my luminol when we get out of here." Koizumi said. I thanked her. I wasn't sure why she started talking about all of this in the first place, but it felt like we had grown closer. I was feeling a bit tired though, so I said goodbye and headed back to my room.

Once I was in my room, I felt exhausted. All the walking around must have drained me. I decided to go to the washroom and splash some water on my face. When I tried to open the door, it felt jammed.

"What? Is it locked?" I asked, despite the fact that no one was listening.

But I forgot that _he_ was listening.

"Nope! It's not locked!" Monokuma said happily. "It's just jammed! There's a special trick to opening it."

I glared at the bear. Whenever he was around, I felt sick to my stomach. I let go of the doorknob and turned to face him.

"Well, can you either fix it or tell me how to open it?"

"I can't fix it! It was designed to be like that!"

Designed that way? Why on earth would he design a broken doorknob? Probably just to be more of a nuisance. Monokuma walked up to the door.

"You need to push up, and then turn it." He explained, doing the actions as he spoke. The door opened up easily, it's well oiled hinges were silent as they did their job. I entered the bathroom and looked around. There was a toilet, a sink and a shower. The floors were tiled. I heard Monokuma mumbling to himself behind me.

"It's always the lucky students who are unlucky." He said.

Lucky _students?_ Wasn't I the only Ultimate Lucky student here? I turned around to ask Monokuma what he meant, but he was gone. Why did he have to keep doing that? As I turned back to the washroom, I noticed a small piece of paper on the ground. Picking it up, I saw that it was a picture of a teenage girl.

"What's this doing on the floor?"

The girl had long dark blue hair. She was wearing a sailor uniform with a large pink bow on the front. Her eyes were blue and her face seemed very familiar. I thought about it for a bit, and then I realized that it was a picture of the pop singer Sayaka Maizono. She was super famous and I had seen her on T.V quite a few times. You couldn't be a teen in Japan and not know who she was. But why was her picture in my bathroom shower? I did what I needed to do in the washroom and returned to the main part of my room. Laying on my bed, I stared at the photo, racking my brain as I tried to figure out why Monokuma would leave the picture in that location of all places. Before long, my eyelids grew heavy, and fell asleep before I could figure out an answer.

"This is a public service announcement. It is now 10pm, and nighttime has officially begun. For your own safety, it is recommended that you stay indoors. Well then, good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!"

I was woken up by the sound of Monokuma's voice. How long had I been asleep? With that thought in mind, I sat up, noticing the picture still clutched in my hand. I wasn't going to solve that mystery anytime soon, so I put it on my desk. As I moved, I realized that I was extremely hungry. I must have slept through dinner. Getting up, I began heading to the dining area.

It was dark out and I could see the slightest trace of my breath, but I didn't mind. I followed the path, making my way to the dining hall. Once I was there, I slowly opened the door, expecting to see an empty room. To my surprise, I saw Kinji sitting alone at one of the tables. He turned towards the door as it opened, frightened at first, but then relaxing when he saw me.

"Oh, hey Yui." He said, smiling. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I slept through dinner." I said, walking over to the table. "So I'm grabbing some now."

He nodded. "Yeah, Ren fell asleep pretty early too. I think everyone is just tired from all the stuff that's going on."

I nodded and sat down next to him. He looked pretty tired too, but was still giving off an energetic aura. I guess that was just an effect of having his kind of personality. After a bit, I couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"So you're a runner right?" I asked. He nodded, seemingly relieved that I had started talking. He must have been thinking of something to say too.

"Yeah, running is what I'm best at, but I'm also good at track and field stuff."

"Wow! That's awesome! So what track and field stuff do you do?"

He began counting on his fingers, mumbling sports names to himself. After doing this for a bit, he looked up and started naming off the sports.

"Discus, long jump, high jump, and definitely the 100 and 400 meter dash."

He really was good at track and field! I could do the long jump if I tried hard enough, but I wasn't good enough to compete. The conversation felt like it was going to become an awkward silence again, so I thought up another question to ask.

"What do you do for training?"

Once I asked this, Kinji's face became red. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed weakly.

"Oh, um. Do you promise not to tell?"

I promised. But what could be so secretive about training? After making sure I was telling the truth, Kinji continued.

"Well, whenever there's a sports test or event at our school, I compete twice." He explained. "Once as me, and once pretending to be Ren since he can't do it."

He paused, making sure that I was following along. I more or less understood. Ren definitely didn't seem like an athlete. Seeing that I wasn't confused, Kinji continued.

"And with the extra practice, plus some help from natural talent, I got good! Eventually I started competing professionally."

I nodded. It made sense. He got good by helping his brother keep his grades up. Before either of us could continue talking, I heard my stomach growl. Kinji laughed.

"I think it's trying to tell us something." He said smiling. "You should probably go get some dinner."

I nodded and stood up. Kinji did the same. He stretched his arms up and yawned.

"I should probably go to bed anyways." He said, walking to the door. "It was nice talking to you Yui!" He opened the door, then stopped. He looked like he had remembered something. He turned around to face me.

"Oh yeah! Mayu said we should meet here in the morning. Just in case you didn't know."

I nodded and thanked him. Smiling, he walked out the door into the darkness. I had almost forgotten that it was already night time. My stomach growled again, snapping me from my thoughts. I headed to the kitchen to grab some food before returning to my room. As I laid in bed, I began to feel very tired, but despite the fatigue, I was happy. I was beginning to feel a small amount of hope that we might actually have a chance of making it through this.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Gooood morning everyone! It is now 7am and night time is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

Monokuma's high pitched voice abruptly snapped me into consciousness. Was he going to do that every morning? I thought about just closing my eyes and going back to sleep, but I remembered that Mayu wanted everyone to meet in the dining hall. Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of my bed, moving into a seated position. Once the fog inside my head had dispersed I got dressed and headed out the door.

The dining hall looked the same as yesterday, and some people were already eating. I walked over to an empty table, not wanting to interrupt anyone's meal. It wasn't long before everyone was there and Mayu took control once again. She stood up on on of the chairs.

"Okay!" She began. "I think that based on our current situation, it might be best if we meet here every morning."

Ren pushed his glasses up. "I'm assuming that's so we can keep track of everyone in case there's a murder at night?" He asked. A few people shifted uncomfortably at the mention of murder. I know that I didn't want to think about our unfortunate situation and they must have felt the same. An uneasy atmosphere had fallen over the dining hall but luckily Kinji was there to get rid of it.

"No matter what the reason is, it'll be nice to eat as a group." He said smiling. Nori scoffed.

"I wouldn't want to eat with you losers." She snapped. "It would ruin my appetite."

Before we could respond, she took her food and left. I really didn't like her. We waited for a bit, but it seemed like that was all Mayu needed to say, so we decided to go our separate ways. I half expected Koizumi to come over and drag me off. As if on cue, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Kinji's smiling face. Behind him was his brother. He wasn't smiling.

"Hey Yui!" Kinji said cheerfully. "Do you wanna head to the gym with Ren and I?"

I nodded."Sure!" It could be fun. I'm not much of a sports person, but it would be interesting to at least watch. Before long, we were all standing in the gym entrance.

Kinji turned to me. "Do you play many sports Yui?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. I'm not very good with coordination."

"Then you wouldn't be up for a race?"

Kinji was frowning when he said that. I felt kind of bad for turning him down, but I knew that I wouldn't stand a chance in a race against the ultimate jogger. The frown only lasted a moment though, and after a shrug, he was quickly back to his usual cheery self. He began jogging in circles around the gym. It looked so... professional. I almost felt like I was watching an Olympic athlete.

Ren and I moved to some bleachers at the side of the gym, not wanting to be in Kinji's way. Once we were comfortable, we proceeded to sit through a lengthy awkward silence. After about 15 minutes, Kinji was still jogging. I decided to break the silence.

"So, are you not going to join him?" I asked. Ren answered without looking.

"No." He replied. "I'm not much of an athlete."

"Oh" I said. This conversation was getting nowhere. I sighed. Once again, Ren spoke without turning to me.

"Though you're more than welcome to join him if you'd like. I'm apparently not very good company."

He had that right. I shrugged. It was true that he wasn't very good company, but I also didn't want to interrupt Kinji's jog.

"I'll pass. I'm not much of an athlete either."

Once again, we sat in silence. I almost started feeling dizzy watching Kinji run in circles around the gym. Feeling the need to look away, I turned my gaze to the floor. There, I saw something unexpected. Bending over, I picked up a picture off the ground. Another one? The picture was of a teenage girl. She had olive toned skin and blonde hair. The hair was pulled up into two very large pigtails using a bow and a rabbit clip. Her outfit was very fashionable. It looked like a school uniform, but the tie was loose and the shirt was low cut. She seemed familiar. Ren noticed the photo and tilted his head to the side.

"What's that?" He asked. I shrugged.

"It's a photo of a girl. I found it on the ground here." I pointed to where the photo had been. Ren held out his hand and I gave the photo to him. He stared at it for a bit and then handed it back.

"It's Junko Enoshima, a very successful teen model." He said. I wasn't sure why he would know something like that, but I decided to take his word for it.

"Do you think she used to live in this city?" I asked. He shrugged.

"There's not enough information to know for sure." He said nonchalantly. He seemed to be unfazed by the photo. Did anything interest this guy? I placed the photo in my pocket. I couldn't just get rid of it. It could be important after all. I couldn't help but wonder though. I couldn't just be a coincidence, finding a photo here, and the one in my bathroom. Was Monokuma the one leaving them?

Suddenly, the gym doors burst open, snapping me from my thoughts. The source of this sudden movement was Asami. She let the doors swing shut behind her and walked further into the building. Kinji wasted no time getting to her.

"Hey Asami!" He said. "Do you wanna race?"

Did he really still want to race after running for so long? I heard Ren sigh beside me. Apparently this was a usual occurrence with Kinji. Asami shook her head.

"I actually came here to shoot some hoops." She explained. "You can join me if you think you're up for it."

I was amazed that Asami had managed to make it through a sentence without yawning. Perhaps she was energized by the thought of playing a game of basketball. She was the Ultimate Basketball Player after all. Kinji struck a heroic pose.

"Heck yeah I'm up for it!" He shouted. I heard Ren mumble Kinji's name and something about embarrassment. I on the other hand, was excited to watch the two athletes compete. Unfortunately, the game didn't last long since Kinji couldn't get the ball from Asami even once. The two of them shook hands once the game was finished, and then headed over to Ren and I. Asami was the first to speak.

"Hey guys! Do you wanna try? It could be more fun two on two."

Before either of us could respond, the gym doors burst open again. This time, Koizumi appeared in the doorway.

"There you are Yui!" She exclaimed. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

She ran over to the bleachers. I noticed a familiar sparkle in her eyes.

"Do you wanna do some investigating?" She asked. I shook my head. Asami had asked me to join them first, and even though I hadn't answered yet, it would still be rude to turn her down. Koizumi frowned and I felt really bad for saying no.

"If Yui won't join you, I'd be happy to oblige." Ren said. We all turned to face him. "Anything to get away from this gym." He stood up and followed Koizumi out the door. Her frown had immediately disappeared once she had found an investigation buddy. We watched until the door swung shut once again. Then I realized that Ren leaving meant I had to face Asami one on one. The athlete stared at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

"Sure." I said regretfully. Somehow I did even worse than Kinij.

Sore, and embarrassed by my humiliating defeat, I headed to the dining hall. Luckily it had been an uneventful day and once again, I started feeling hopeful that we could get through this. Apparently, I was very wrong.

As I opened the doors of the dining hall, I saw that three people were already there. Mayu and Nori were facing each other, and they seemed angry. To the side, closer to the door, Isoya was watching the fight as emotionless as ever. None of them noticed me enter, or at least didn't show any interest in my presence.

"You need to be more cooperative Nori!" Mayu shouted. "Being a jerk to everyone isn't going to help us get through this."

"Well being a bossy, control freak bitch isn't going to help either, but that isn't stopping you." Nori spat back. I watched in horror, not wanting this to escalate into something worse than an argument. I took a step forward, but Isoya grabbed my shoulder, holding me back.

"But shouldn't we stop them?" I asked. He shook his head.

"It is best to let them get it out of their system." He explained. "So that it won't cause trouble later."

"But-"

"I will step in if things become to heated." He added. I didn't like the idea of just leaving the two of them be, but knowing that he'd stop it from getting worse was at least reassuring. Unaware of Isoya and my conversation, the two girls continued to argue.

"I'm only being bossy to get us out of here." Mayu said. "If someone doesn't take charge, there will be chaos."

"You're such an idiot, you know that?" Nori replied, tossing her hair. "None of these dumb-asses have to listen to you. In fact, they probably really hate you because you're trying to control them."

"No! I'm not trying to control them!" Mayu said. "I'm just trying to get us all out of here!"

While Mayu was talking, Nori walked up to her and out of nowhere, she slapped her. Mayu fell to the ground, holding her cheek which was now red. Nori scoffed.

"You're just putting your nose into everyone's business. You aren't helping anyone." She snapped. But if she had anything else to say, we didn't get to hear it because Isoya cut her off.

"Enough." He said sternly. The room fell silent and still. It almost felt like I was staring at an exhibit in a museum. The silence was broken as Nori tossed her hair again.

"I don't need a loser who can't even remember his talent telling me what to do." She said before walking out the door. Once she was gone, Isoya helped Mayu up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. Mayu shook her head, her gaze turned towards the floor. After another moment of silence, Isoya left the dining hall as well. I walked over to Mayu.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked. The slap had definitely left a mark. Her cheek was red and I could almost make out the shape of a hand. Mayu nodded.

"Yeah." She said smiling. "It was my own fault. I guess I need to learn when to keep to myself."

With this said, Mayu left the dining hall, leaving me alone. I stood in silence yet again before feeling my stomach rumble. The fight had made me forget how hungry I was. Heading to the kitchen, I realized that the hopeful feeling I had felt before had completely disappeared. Perhaps some food and a good nights rest could help me get it back.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once again, I woke up to the sound of Monokuma's irritating voice. So he _was_ going to do that every morning. Sitting up, I noticed the two photos on the table. I had put them there before, not sure what else to do with them. I guess it would be fine to just leave them there for now. Like yesterday, I reluctantly got out of bed, heading out the door once I was dressed.

I saw Ren walking towards the dining hall and jogged over to catch up to him.

"Hello!" I said cheerfully. Perhaps he would be in a better mood today.

"Hello." He replied. He continued walking, unwilling to even look in my direction.

"So. How was investigating yesterday?" I asked. I wasn't even sure why I kept trying to talk to him. The conversation would probably just turn into an awkward silence again. Rather than continuing to walk and ignore me, Ren stopped.

"I apologize," He began. "But I am not in the mood for conversation."

Once he had finished dismissing me, he began walking again.

"Why?" I asked. Technically ignoring what he had said. Normally I would leave people alone if they wanted to be, but at the moment I needed some kind of communication. Even if it was with him. He sighed.

"I see no reason to get to know people who may end up dead the next day." He said bluntly. I almost thought I had misheard him. Could someone really think like that?

"That's not going to happen though!" I exclaimed. "No one is going to kill anybody."

The tone of my voice sounded confident, though I did know that I felt a sliver of doubt. That didn't change the fact that it would be better to stay optimistic though. Once again, Ren stopped walking.

"You're just naive if you really believe that." He said. "If you get too attached to the people here, then it will hurt more when they're gone."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I tried to say something back. To tell him he was wrong. But I couldn't find the words. Instead, I turned away, just wanting to get away from him. He was nothing like his brother. Kinji was optimistic, happy, energetic. How could the two of them even be related?

Looking around, I noticed Saruwatari walking ahead of us. Leaving Ren behind, I walked over to him. He smiled at me when I got there, but then frowned as he realized that something was wrong.

"Is everything okay Yui?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Ren said that there's no point in talking to anyone since we're going to end up dead." I explained. I wasn't sure why I was wasting Saruwatari's time with something like that, but I had said it anyways.

"Well, he's got that wrong." Saruwatari said. "The only way we're going to get through this is if we work together."

I nodded and realized that we had reached the dining hall. Saruwatari smiled and opened the door for me. I thanked him and walked inside. I felt a bit better thanks to what Saruwatari had said. Unfortunately, the happy feeling was short lived. Asami's voice rang out through the dining hall, signalling that another fight had broken out.

"What did you say!?" She shouted. Following her gaze, I realized that the question was directed at Koizumi. The young investigator shrugged.

"I said that I wouldn't mind if someone got murdered." She replied. I felt my jaw drop. Did Koizumi really think that? I saw Asami clench her fist.

"Didn't you hear what Monokuma said?" She asked. "He told us that we all went to school together!" She gestured to the others who, like me, were shocked by the scene unfolding before them. "These are your friends! And you say you _wouldn't mind_ if one of them died?"

Part of me wished that Koizumi was lying, or that this was all a dream, but I knew that wasn't the case. Koizumi's next words proved that.

"No." She replied. "I'm excited to investigate a real murder! And to do that, there needs to be a body."

"Are you even listening to what you're saying!?" Asami shouted back. Before things could get more heated, Mayu placed her hand on Asami's shoulder.

"Take a deep breath Asami." She said calmly. "Anger isn't going to help." After she made sure Asami was calmer, she turned to Koizumi.

"It might be better if you went back to your room Koizumi." She suggested. Once again, Koizumi shrugged, leaving the dining hall with a smile on her face. I felt my hands shaking. Was it from fear? Adrenaline? Both? I felt my head grow fuzzy, but Mayu's voice snapped it back to reality.

"We all need to calm down." She instructed. "Anger leads to violence, which can unfortunately lead to a murder. If we want to avoid that, then we're all going to have to get along." Saruwatari walked up to her, also addressing the rest of us.

"Yeah!" He said. "I'm sure we'll be rescued soon enough!"

Somehow, Saruwatari's words brought a glimmer of hope. I saw some of the others nodding, realizing that he was right. Of course, _he_ couldn't let us feel happy.

"Puhuhuhu! That has to be the funniest thing I've heard all day! Bwahahahaha!"

I jumped back. Somehow Monokuma had appeared right next to me, and I hadn't even noticed. Once he had finished laughing, he continued.

"You aren't going to be rescued." He said. "And I'm starting to get _really_ bored. Can one of you just kill already?"

Finally finding my voice, I turned to face the monochrome bear. "None of us are going to do something as horrible as that!" I said, half to him and half to myself. I still felt a sliver of doubt, knowing that a murder was still possible. Once again, Monokuma laughed.

"If you talk like that..." He said in the same sickly sweet voice as before. "You'll probably end up being the victim. Puhuhu."

As he laughed, he left the dining hall. The atmosphere had been bad before, but somehow he had made it feel even worse. I tried to stop my hands from shaking, but couldn't. I could faintly hear Sota's voice as it rang out through the dining hall.

"We aren't going to be rescued?" He asked. The panic he was feeling was blatantly obvious in both his voice and body. Before he could lose control, Akio put his hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down man." He said. But his voice betrayed him as well. In fact, even the air in the room seemed to be shaking from fear. I could feel it. My head began spinning as I thought about what Monokuma had said. Was I really going to be killed?

"Yes, you're right. We should go back to our room."

The voice belonged to Koharu. Everyone watched as she left the dining hall. I wasn't sure who she had been talking to, but she was right. We all dispersed, going our separate ways. I returned to my room. As I closed and locked the door, I realized that I felt very cold. Wrapping my blankets around me, I laid in bed. I knew that the blankets couldn't protect me, but it helped to feel secluded from them all.

I spent the rest of the day like this, drifting in and out of reality as I fell asleep and woke up over and over again. The entire time still shaking. Still cold.

Eventually, there was a knock at the door. Despite every fibre of my being telling me to ignore the noise, I went over and turned the doorknob. The person who had knocked was Kinji, who still had his hand up to try again.

"Oh! Yui!" He said, quickly putting his hand down. "I was worried about you, since you hadn't left your room all day."

I sighed, both mentally and physically relieved. I had half expected it to be Monokuma at the door.

"Thanks." I said. "But I'm fine. Just a bit worried about what Monokuma said." I moved to the side, letting him in. I wasn't sure why I did, but it seemed like my body was acting on it's own. Nevertheless, I did feel like I could trust Kinji, so I closed the door and gestured to the chair. He sat down and I moved to the bed, sitting down and turning to face him.

"I don't think you need to worry." Kinji said, once he was comfortable. "No one is going to kill you." He seemed very certain, and I couldn't help but smile. Even in horribly dark situations, he could still stay optimistic. Unfortunately, my smile faded as I remembered what his brother had said.

"Ren doesn't think so." I said. "He doesn't trust anyone and thinks we should all do the same."

"I guess that makes sense." Kinji said. "Ren and I didn't have many friends growing up, so trusting people has never been his strong suit."

I could understand Ren not having many friends. His social skills weren't the best after all. But I found it difficult to believe that Kinji was alone as well. Perhaps he used to be different than the Kinji I had met in the classroom.

"What do you think of all this?" I asked. The question was random, but I needed to know. I had to see if anyone felt the same way as I did. Kinji shrugged.

"I don't like it." He answered. "But I'm not extremely worried about it either. Before this all happened, I was being bombarded by scouts. Even with Ren's help, I was having trouble deciding. The stress was really getting to me, but if what Monokuma said was true, I must have gone with Hopes Peak Academy. Something about that just seems... reassuring, you know?" He smiled, and I couldn't help smiling as well. It seemed like Kinji was always able to see the silver lining of a situation.

"It must be more than reassuring knowing you're the best at what you do." I said. Kinji nodded and laughed. He had a nice laugh.

"I'm just happy that Ren and I got to be together, even if it did end up getting us here." He said before pausing. He stood up and headed towards the door. I got up and put my hand on the door knob to open it for him. He put his hand on mine to stop me. "I'm also happy I got to meet you." He added. Before I could even comprehend what he had said, I felt his arms around me. He pulled me close to him in a tight hug. I could feel the warmth of his body and felt blood flushing to my cheeks. The moment was over quickly though and Kinji turned away, opening the door.

"Come see me if you're feeling scared again, okay?" he said once he had stepped outside. I nodded, still shocked by what had just happened. I had never been that close to a boy before, and I couldn't help but feel a bit dazed and confused. After a while I realized that the door was still open. I quickly closed it and sat back down on my bed.

" _Ahem,_ this is a message from your Mayor. It is now 10pm and night time has officially begun. Please return to your hotel rooms as some areas will now be closed. Thank you. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

Monokuma's voice filled the room, but I ignored him. Instead, I just let myself fall into a deep sleep, still feeling warm from before. Feeling happy. Feeling hopeful.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hey Asami!" I said, running over to the basket ball player.

It was the next morning, and I felt a lot better than I had the day before. I was on my way to the dining hall when I saw Asami. She turned to face me when she heard her name."

"Oh! Hey-" Her greeting was interrupted by a humungous yawn. "-Yui. You feeling better?"

"Yeah." I answered. "Thanks for asking."

We walked to the dining hall together. My stomach knotted as I turned the doorknob, but the inside seemed normal and there were no fights to be seen. Relieved, I grabbed some food and sat down next to Missa.

"Um... are you... feeling better Yui?" The young pianist asked. I said yes and she smiled.

"That's good." She said quietly. "I was worried that you were never going to come out of your room, but I'm glad you did."

Once she had finished saying this, she turned back to her food. I realized that if Kinji hadn't come to my room, I could very well have never left it again. Wanting to thank him, I looked around the dining hall. He wasn't there. Ren and Koizumi were missing as well. I felt my stomach tighten again as my brain jumped to the worst case scenario, but relaxed as I saw Kinji enter the room. I waved him over and he sat down across from me.

"I was worried that something had happened." I said. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah. Sorry." He began. "I went for a quick jog to wake myself up."

He definitely looked like he had been running. Now that he mentioned it, he looked sweaty and was breathing more heavily than normal. It must have been a pretty intense run. I realized that Ren still hadn't gotten here, and despite the fact I didn't like him, I felt my stomach tighten again.

"Have you seen Ren?" I asked. Kinji nodded.

"Don't worry." He said. "Ren said he wasn't feeling well, so he slept in. He should be here soon though."

Just as Kinji finished speaking, Ren walked through the door. It almost seemed like he had been waiting for Kinji to say that. Seeing Kinji, he walked over to the table.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked. Mainly out of politeness and less out of actual curiosity.

"Yes." Ren replied. "My head still feels fuzzy, but besides that I'm fine."

Our meal was interrupted my Mayu, calling for everyone's attention. Once she had it, she began addressing the group.

"Has anyone seen Koizumi?" She asked.

"I don't care what happens to that psycho girl." Asami said, returning to her food. She sounded like she wanted to not care, but it was easy to tell that she was still worried. Mayu seemed worried as well.

"I can't help but feel like something bad has happened." Mayu said. Sota put his hand up to get her attention.

"I'll go check her room if someone's willing to come with me." He offered.

"We'll go with you." Koharu said. Despite saying we, only she went over. Nonetheless, the two of them headed out the door to find Koizumi.

"Are they going to be able to find her with only two people looking?" Michiyo asked. Her monotonous voice sounding out of place compared to Mayu's bubbly and energetic one. Mayu nodded.

"You're right." She said. "Everyone, we should split up and try to find Koizumi."

Everyone but Asami got up and began looking. It was true that Koizumi had more than a few screws loose, but none of us could shake the feeling that something had happened. I looked around for a while, and just as I started to wonder if Koizumi hadn't just disappeared off the face of the earth, I heard a scream.

I felt my body freeze. There was no reason for someone to scream unless... I ran in the direction of the source of the noise. It came from the library. Once I reached the building, I put my hand on the door. Part of me didn't want to open it for fear of what I might see inside. No. I couldn't think like that. I pushed open the door, and wasn't prepared for what I saw inside. This nightmarish reality we had been thrown into, this abnormal situation became frighteningly real.

There, lying face down in a pool of blood, was Koizumi. Her body was still and seemed to be bent out of shape in some places. Her arm was stretched out and her hair was tangled and stained with blood along with her clothes. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Instead, I just felt sick. Shaking, I looked away. I had seen lots of gore in movies and television, but seeing it in real life. Seeing someone that I knew like... like that. I couldn't take it.

I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't. Instead, I looked around the room. I wasn't the only one here. Missa, who was most likely the one who screamed, had passed out. She was laying in Isoya's arms, and looked pale. Isoya seemed as calm and collected as always. Somehow. It almost made him seem, inhuman. Looking the other way, I saw Bessihiki. He seemed pale as well, and almost green. His stomach was probably reacting the same way as mine. He wasn't shaking, but his fingers were tapping his leg more frantically than usual. Unlike me, he hadn't looked away from the body. Perhaps he was frozen in fear as well.

Ding dang Ding Dong

"A body has been discovered! Following a brief period of investigation, a class trial will be held."

A-A class trial? What was that? Apparently, Bessihiki was thinking the same thing as me.

"What the heck is a class trial!?" He asked finally breaking his fear induced trance. "Does he expect us to- oh God." He doubled over, holding his hand to his mouth. I looked away, wanting to run out the door. This was all too horrible and I just wanted to get away. I had to get away.

"Yui!"

Suddenly someone was holding me. I looked up and saw Kinji. His face was pale, but he seemed to be handling the situation better than me. Or perhaps he was just good at hiding his fear.

"It's okay Yui." He said, holding me close. "Don't worry."

I began to shake more violently, tears streaming down my cheeks. One by one, the others arrived at the library, each one reacting to the body. Once everyone had arrived, _he_ showed up as well.

"Wow! Isn't this all exciting!?" Monokuma appeared out of nowhere. I felt even more sick at the sound of his voice. In fact, I felt the urge to go and strangle him. If Kinji hadn't been holding me, I probably would have.

"Finally, someone went and did what I asked. There's finally a murder! And when there's a murder, there's also... The Monokuma File!"

The bear danced around cheerfully. We all stood in horror. Ren managed to find his voice before the rest of us.

"And what exactly _is_ a Monokuma file?" He asked. Monokuma stopped dancing and turned to face us.

"Wha-wha-wha-what?" He asked. "I can't believe you don't know such a basic thing! It's a file that describes the details of the murder to help with the investigation. I can't expect you kids to figure this stuff out on your own. Especially not after Miss Forensic Scientist here has kicked the bucket. Bwahahahaha."

"Go to hell!" Akio shouted. Monokuma just laughed. "Remember. Violence against the mayor is against the law. So you calm down now. Unless you want to be punished."

Monokuma held up his paw, threatening Akio with four very sharp claws. Akio backed up, not wanting to push the bear any further. His intimidation successful, Monokuma retracted the claws.

"Alright, now. I want all of you to investigate so you can find out whodunit during the trial!"

"The trial?" Bessihiki asked, finally able to speak again. Hamano added to his question.

"You can't really mean you expect us to solve the murder?"

"Ding ding ding ding!" Monokuma shouted. "You got it! You guys need to collect evidence and piece together what happened! It'll be like something from a video game! Or a mystery story!"

"But this isn't a video game _or_ a story!" I shouted back. "We don't know the first thing about investigating."

"Well then. Sucks to be you!" Monokuma replied. "Now, I'll see you at the class trial. Good luck! Puhuhuhu!"

And with that, he was gone. We stood in silence for a while before Saruwatari's voice finally broke the trance.

"I suppose we should start investigating then."

Ren pushed up his glasses and turned to face Saruwatari.

"Well, if we're investigating, what's stopping the killer from altering the crime scene?"

"I suppose we could put someone on guard duty." Saruwatari suggested. "But it would have to be two people, in case the guard turns out to be the killer."

My stomach knotted again as Saruwatari said that. The killer. One of us was the killer? I found it difficult to believe that someone here was capable of killing, but the very existence of the crime scene showed that that was the truth. I really had been naive for thinking it couldn't happen.

"Alright." Saruwatari said. "Akio and Asami, you're on guard duty. Everyone else, read the Monokuma file and then start investigating. I'll see if I can perform an autopsy."

Hamano looked at the vet in horror and disbelief.

"You mean you're going to touch the body?" He asked. Saruwatari nodded.

"I don't want to, but someone has to do it. I want to see if we can trust the Monokuma file."

And with that, he went over to Koizumi's body, signalling Akio and Asami to follow him. Asami seemed more pale than the rest of us. No doubt she felt guilty for what she had said. I felt sorry for her, but then I realized that we were running out of time. I quickly took out my E-Handook and began reading the Monokuma file. It started with a picture of Koizumi, her injuries outlined in pink. Next to it was an autopsy.

"Victim, Koizumi Sota. Cause of death, Falling from the second story of the library. Time of death, 7:00am. Other info, The victim had bruises around her neck and wrists."

I closed the file. I couldn't even begin to imagine how scared Koizumi had been as she fell. I knew that I wouldn't be able to investigate the body, so I headed upstairs to see where she had fallen from. The library itself was very large, the second floor was more of a balcony that followed the perimeter. Koizumi had been up there when she fell. Heading to the area above the body, I began looking around. Books had been knocked off of the shelves and the items that used to be on the table were now strewn across the floor. It almost looked like there had been a struggle. Perhaps Koizumi had fought back before she died?

Realizing that there wasn't much else to find up there, I returned to the first floor. Looking around, I saw almost everyone working hard. Unfortunately Nori and Hamano seemed to be less than helpful. They just stood by the wall, ignoring everyone. Perhaps they were just uneasy because of the body, or perhaps they just didn't want to help. Either way, there was no reason to pay any attention to them. Asami and Akio were still keeping watch, Isoya was tending to the now conscious Missa, and Saruwatari was still performing the autopsy. Everyone else was investigating on their own.

I headed over to Koizumi's body. I knew that I wouldn't be able to touch it, but I still needed to investigate if I was going to be any help in the trial. It looked the same as it had before, the only difference being Saruwatari, who was examining it's wound. He seemed to be almost done. Wait, _it's_ wound? Was Koizumi and _it_ now? I felt myself shudder, a chill running down my spine. Just yesterday, she had been alive and happy, and now _she_ was an _it._ I felt a hand on my shoulder, looking over, I saw Isoya.

"Is everything alright Yui?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know if I can investigate the body." I said, my voice shaking. Isoya nodded.

"In that case, I will investigate and tell you my findings."

Without another word, he walked towards the body just as Saruwatari finished. He began looking around, and I found myself unable to watch. Something about it just seemed wrong. Like an invasion of privacy. After some time had passed, Isoya returned.

"I found quite a bit." He said. I turned to face him, gesturing for him to share.

"Firstly," He began, "It seems like her watch broke when she hit the ground. The time was 6:57."

I took note of that. For some reason, the time seemed off, but I decided to take his word for it.

"Secondly, beneath her body was a belt. She gripped it tightly and landed on top of it."

This was most likely the same hand that her watch was on. If she had handed on top of it, it would explain the watch breaking.

"Thirdly, it seemed like she wrote a dying message of some kind. Unfortunately, it is illegible due to someone walking through it. They even left a few bloody footprints in the process."

"What did she use to write it" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"She used her blood." Isoya answered. "It was on the tip of her finger as well, so I believe she used her dying breath to write down the message." He paused for a moment, making sure I had no questions. Saruwatari walked over and put his hand on Isoya's shoulder.

"Hey guys." He said. "I've been going around telling everyone what I found. I think that the bruises on Koizumi's neck could mean that she was strangled, if that's any help."

"Thank you." I said. I stared at the two boys for a moment. They both seemed calm and collected."You guys are pretty relaxed after touching a dead body." I said. Saruwatari shrugged.

"When you think about it, a dead body is the same as a live on, but without a pulse. I know it's a horrible way to think, but it does help me cope with all this."

Isoya shrugged as well.

"Death is not a stranger to me." He said before walking away. Saruwatari and I watched him go.

"Well I still have a few people to talk to." Saruwatari said. He walked away as well. I tried to think of what to do next when I saw Asami. I remembered that she had seemed panicked before and decided to talk to her.

"Hey Asami." I said. She jumped at the sound of my voice, but calmed down once she saw me.

"Hey Yui." She said. After saying this, she turned her gaze to the ground.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Knowing that the answer wasn't yes.

"I..." She began. "It's just that..." I could see tears forming in her her eyes. Finally, she looked up, making eye contact. "I know I didn't like her, but... I don't think she deserved this. I mean, she was still a person after all." The tears had started to fall down her cheeks. I could tell that she felt responsible.

"Don't worry Asami." I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. "We're going to find out who did this, and then we're going to get out of here. I promise."

Asami smiled and wiped away the tears. "Thanks Yui." She said. "Also, I don't know if it will help much, but I did see something when I was at the gym today."

This was news to me.

"What did you see?" I asked. "Anything could help."

"Well. When I was at the gym, I saw Ren pass by at around 6:40, and then I saw him again later at 7:03 when I was heading back to the hotel. He went to his room after that." She sighed. "I know it's probably nothing, but hopefully it will be a bit helpful."

"I'm sure it will help a lot." I said, trying my best to lift her spirits. "I'll ask him about it when I can, so for now, just try to keep smiling okay?"

Asami couldn't help but smile after that. After saying goodbye, I looked around for Ren. I noticed him standing near the body. It was on it's side now, revealing the belt and broken watch. The mathematician was staring at it, his face pale. I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey." I said. "You okay?"

Without looking away, Ren pointed at the belt.

"That belt..." He said. "It's-"

He was cut off by the sound of the intercom. After some static, Monokuma's voice filled the room.

"How exciting! It's time to start the first class trial. Please make your way to the big red door and the _real_ fun will begin. See you soon! Puhuhu!"

Reluctantly, we all headed to the red door. So it wasn't a way out after all. Once we were there, we waited patiently for Monokuma to open it. I headed over to Hamano and Nori.

"Hey, did you guys find anything?" I asked. Nori just tossed her hair and looked away. Hamano shrugged.

"Not a thing, honey." He said. "I was hoping that the crazy chick would be alive for the first murder so she could do all the brain work, but it seems like that was wishful thinking. I was kinda bummed by that so I didn't look."

Annoyed and wondering why I even bothered to talk to them, I walked away. I saw Ren and headed in his direction to talk about what had happened, but was intercepted by Kinji.

"You doing alright?" He asked. "You seemed kind of shaken up earlier." I nodded.

"I'm still a bit shaken, but I'll be fine." I replied. Kinji looked away for a moment.

"Hey, Yui?" He said, his eyes still turned away. "I... um..."

Kinji's stutters were cut off by the sound of the big red door opening. We all turned to see what laid behind it. Much to our surprise, it was an elevator. We all stood still, not sure what to do. I shifted my weight back and forth nervously. After a while, Saruwatari shrugged and walked inside, then the rest of us followed. Once everyone was in, the lights turned on, the door closed, the elevator lurched and then began to descend.

As the elevator clanged loudly, and we descended deeper and deeper, I didn't know what to expect. What horrors laid at the bottom? And how could they possibly be worse than the horrors we saw above?

Somehow I sensed that if we failed this trial, we would never go up this elevator again.

Was the killer really one of us? I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I knew it was true. And the only way we were going to avoid sharing Koizumi's fate, was if we found the culprit. As I realized this, the elevator came to a halt, and the trial, a battle between hope and despair, began.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When we exited the elevator, we found ourselves in a large circular chamber. The walls were made of checkered black and red tiles, and disappeared into darkness above us, masking the true height of the room. Opposite of the elevator door, there was throne and in the middle of the room, were 16 podiums arranged in a circle. Each one had a name carved into it. Unsure of what else to do we all headed to our assigned podiums. Before long, Monokuma was sitting in the throne.

"Do you like the trial room?" He asked, gesturing to the chamber. "It took a whole hour to decorate."

Koharu pointed at the 16th podium, where there was a stand with Koizumi's picture on it. The picture had a large X painted onto it.

"What's that for?" She asked. Monokuma shrugged.

"Just because she's dead, doesn't mean she shouldn't get to take part." He explained. "Now, I think it's about time I explained the basics of the class trial. The result of the trial is determined by your own votes. If the correct culprit is chosen, then only they will receive punishment. But if you choose the wrong one, I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they alone will get to leave!"

"So this punishment..." Akio began, "Is it like, detention? Or, what?"

"Puhuhu. Nope! The punishment is... drum-roll please... Execution!"

"As in, electric chair? Hanging? That kind of execution?" Akio asked. Monokuma nodded. Before any of us had time to object or comment, he began talking again.

"Alright, since this is your first trial, I'll give you a hand. Why don't you begin by talking about the murder weapon!"

And with that, his explanation was over. We had been thrown into a battle of life or death. A battle of right or wrong. A battle for freedom or execution. A battle between hope and despair.

The first to speak was Sota.

"So, um... the murder weapon was the belt right?" He asked. "Since her neck was all bruised."

Nori scoffed and tossed her hair.

"Did you even read the Monokuma file you idiot?" She replied. "It clearly says that the cause of death was falling from the second floor of the library. The belt had nothing to do with it."

"Oh. Whoops. My bad." Sota said. "I kinda forgot about that part." As he finished speaking, Mayu put up her hand to get everyone's attention.

"In that case, why were there bruises on her neck?" She asked. "Do you think that the killer strangled her afterwards to make sure she was dead?"

I tried to think things through, remembering what I found at the crime scene. No. Not at the crime scene. Above it.

"There were signs of a struggle on the second floor." I said. "So she must have gotten the bruises on her neck and wrist during the fight." Hamano nodded.

"So you're saying that the killer tried to strangle Koizumi, but then she fought back? And in the end, she fell over the railing and ended up dead like a fly on a windshield?"

"So the killer is whoever owns the belt?" Akio asked. Everyone nodded. It made sense after all. I was happy that we were able to figure things out so easily. Mayu put her hands on her hips.

"So will the owner of the belt please speak up?" She asked. There was silence as everyone waited for the owner to speak. After a moment, Ren reluctantly raised his hand, fixing his glasses with the other.

"The belt belongs to me."

So that was what he had been trying to say back at the crime scene.

"Then you're the killer!" Sota exclaimed. Kinji shook his head.

"There's no way Ren would kill anyone." He argued. "I refuse to believe he's the killer."

"I agree." Ren said. "My belt may have been at the crime scene, but I never stepped foot in that library."

"No! That's wrong!" I shouted. "Asami saw you heading to the library this morning."

"That's Right!" Asami said. "When I was at the gym, I saw you walking towards the library, and then later on I saw you heading back."

"You were also late for breakfast," Missa said quietly. "But-" She jumped as Mayu shouted out next to her.

"That's right!" She exclaimed. "The time of death was 7:00, so if he did kill Koizumi, he'd definitely be late for breakfast!"

"I was asleep." Ren argued. "Not at the library committing murder."

"You can't prove that." Nori snapped. "For all we know, you're just lying to protect yourself."

"But..." Missa said, trying to finish what she had started saying before. "He wasn't the only one late to breakfast."

Missa was right. Thinking back, I remembered several people being late to breakfast.

"Asami and Kinji were late too, right?" I asked. Missa nodded. Asami was quick to defend herself.

"I was at the gym." She said.

"And I was out jogging." Kinji added.

Neither of those were very good alibis, but at the same time, Asami and I had gotten to the dining hall at around the same time. Even if she had been late, it wasn't late enough to make her suspicious. Kinji on the other hand... My thoughts were interrupted as Ren began to speak.

"Even if I was late for breakfast." He said. "Besides the belt, which could have been stolen, there's nothing proving that I was at the library." Sota shook his head.

"You were seen going to the crime scene." He argued. Ren sighed.

"Okay, I'll humour you. If I wasn't asleep in my room, and Asami did see me, she only saw me heading towards the library. She never saw me actually enter the building." Ren had been calm so far, but he seemed to be losing his composure. "Though all of this is completely impossible because I never left my room!"

"That's wrong." Isoya stated bluntly. "There is more evidence proving you went to the library."

"Impossible." Ren said. Isoya shook his head.

"It's actually quite possible, and Yui would agree with me."

I would? I thought for a moment, trying to figure out what he was saying. Was there anything else that would prove Ren was at the crime scene? More specifically, something that apparently only Isoya and I knew about.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, figuring it out. "You're talking about Koizumi's dying message?" Isoya nodded. But Bessihiki apparently didn't understand.

"What dying message?" He asked. "There was nothing but blo-" His face grew a faint shade of green again as he remembered the crime scene, but the nausea spell passed once he took a deep breath. "nothing but blood."

"The blood was the dying message." I explained. Koharu gasped.

"Oh! The lines look like letters!" She exclaimed. Nodding, I continued my explanation.

"She wrote out the name of her killer with her own blood. It got smudged when someone stepped in it, but if you connect the lines that you _can_ see, it spells Ren."

"But how could she write anything?" Akio asked. "She was dead, and last time I checked, dead girls couldn't write."

"I'm pretty sure dead people in general can't write." Mayu said.

"No! That's wrong!" I shouted. "Well... not the dead people writing part. That's true. What I mean is Koizumi could have written that message since she was still alive for three minutes after she fell."

"How would you know that?" Kinji asked. I could tell that he was worried. It wasn't surprising since his brother was the main suspect.

"Using her watch." I replied. "It broke from the impact of the fall, and the time it stopped at was 6:57. However, the Monokuma file said the time of death was 7:00 exactly. Which means she survived the fall and used her last few minutes of life to write down the name of her killer. Ren." Saruwatari decided to help me prove my point.

"She also had blood on her finger, which proves that she's the one who wrote the message."

Ren had been listening to all of this quietly, but apparently he had reached his limit.

"But why would she write my name!?" He asked. "I was never there!" Mayu slammed her hands on the podium, the way a lawyer would in a movie. I think she was getting a bit too into it.

"Stop lying!" She shouted. "You were seen going there!"

"And I'm saying that I was asleep in my room the whole time!" Ren shouted back. His breathing was starting to speed up. Asami shook her head.

"But all the evidence points to you!" She argued. "You weren't asleep. You went to the library and tried to strangle Koizumi, but she fought back. So you pushed her over the railing. After that, she wrote your name, and you smudged it as you left. Then you ran back to the hotel, and even though you somehow managed to get there in three minutes, you were still late."

"I think it's time to vote." Nori said. "I'd like to get this over with so I can go to bed."

At this point, Ren was sweating and couldn't seem to catch his breath. Was this because we had cornered him?

"I'm not the killer!" He shouted, his quick breathing turning into hyperventilating. He still tried to speak.

"You're. Going. To. Get. Your. Selves. Killed."

We all prepared to vote, but the action was cut short as Ren suddenly couldn't breath. Doubling over, he fumbled around in his pockets, desperately searching for something. Once he had found it, he pulled it out. It was an inhaler and he began to use it, returning his breathing to normal. It all happened so quickly that none of us had time to react.

"What just happened?" Mayu asked.

"He had an asthma attack." Saruwatari answered.

Suddenly, I realized that something wasn't adding up. Somehow we had been wrong the entire time. And Ren had been trying to tell us that.

"Wait!" I cried out. "We can't vote yet!"

Everyone looked at me, silently asking me to explain. Ren looked relieved, knowing that I had finally caught on.

"Ren just had an asthma attack right?" I said. "If he has asthma, then there's no way he would have been able to run from the library to the hotel in such a short amount of time."

"Yui... is right..." Ren said, still recovering from the attack. "I... was asleep... the whole time."

Nori tossed her hair to the side, stubbornly refusing to listen.

"I'm still having a hard time believing that." She spat.

"I'm not." Someone said. Looking around, we realized that it was Michiyo. She had been quiet the whole time, but had decided to speak up now for some reason. Her reason? She was holding it in her hand.

"I found this bottle at the crime scene." She said in her usual monotonous voice. "I thought it was Koizumi's so I didn't bring it up, but now I think it might have been the killer's."

"Can I see that Michiyo?" I asked. She nodded and tossed it over. Reading the label, I saw that it was a soporific. Suddenly, things were making sense.

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "The real killer must have used this soporific to knock out Ren in order to frame him, and then the bottle fell out of their pocket at the crime scene!" Asami shook her head.

"But I'm certain it was Ren I saw heading to the library." She said.

"Perhaps it was someone who looked like Ren?" Isoya suggested.

Someone who looks like Ren? But that meant... I felt a chill run down my spine. Was he really the killer? Was he really capable of doing something like that?

"But that would mean that..." I began. "The person Asami saw, was Kinji."

"Me!?" Kinji exclaimed. "I'm not the killer!" His objections were interrupted by the same monotonous voice who had condemned him.

"It makes sense if you think about it." Michiyo said.

"She's right." I agreed. "If you had knocked Ren out, you could have taken his clothes and dressed up as him in order to frame him."

"There's no way I'd frame my own brother!" Kinji argued. But he was once again interrupted.

"You were late for breakfast." Missa said quietly. "Just like Ren."

Kinji was starting to worry. Just like before. Only this time, I knew he was frightened for himself.

"I told you!" He said. "I was out for a run!" I nodded.

"Yes, that's true." I said. "But you weren't running to wake yourself up. You were running from the crime scene. Pretending to be Ren." Asami eyes lit up as she came to a realization.

"That's right!" She said. "The person I thought was Ren was out of breath. If it had been the real Ren, then he definitely would have been having an asthma attack by then."

"But if I'm the killer, then why would I wipe away the bloody message?" Kinji asked, desperate for a way out. "Wouldn't I have kept it there if I was trying to frame Ren?" Saruatari rubbed his chin, quickly coming up with a solution.

"Perhaps you didn't mean to wipe it away?" He suggested. "If you didn't notice it, you could have wiped it away with your foot by accident." Isoya nodded.

"In that case, there would still be blood on his shoe, correct?" He asked.

"Take of your shoe creep." Nori commanded. Reluctantly, Kinji bent over and took off his shoe. As he turned the sole towards him, he froze in fear. Letting the shoe fall to the floor, he revealed the dried blood.

"So I guess you didn't realize that you stepped in it." I said.

Kinji seemed defeated for a moment, but suddenly got his mental second wind.

"That blood is from... it's from... who cares!?" He cried out, the desperation obvious in his voice. "Some blood on my shoe doesn't prove I'm the killer!" I shook my head, despite how much I wanted to agree with him.

"It does." I said. "And if we view this case from the beginning, then we'll see that _all_ the evidence points to you." Taking a deep breath, I prepared to explain the case, trying my best to remember every detail.

"First, the killer went to the store, buying the soporific at the pharmacy. After a while, they gave the soporific to Ren, most likely through food, and knocked him out. They changed into Ren's clothes, and headed to the library. On the way, Asami saw them as they walked by, mistaking them for Ren. Once the killer reached the library, they saw Koizumi on the second floor. They went upstairs and tried to strangle Koizumi, but she fought back. This is when the soporific bottle fell out of the killer's pocket. During the struggle, Koizumi fell over the railing. However, she managed to grab the belt from the killer, landing on top of it, and her watch, when she hit the ground. Her watch broke on impact as well, stopping at 6:57. In her final moments, she wrote the name of who she thought was her killer. However, she had fallen for the killer's trick and wrote the wrong name. The killer then ran downstairs, fleeing the scene. As they fled, they unfortunately ran through the bloody message, staining their shoe red. They then ran all the way back to the hotel in the span of three minutes, running into Asami on the way. But their attempt to create an alibi unfortunately only served to prove their guilt, because due to his asthma, Ren wouldn't have been able to make it back without having an asthma attack. However, this would be easy for the Ultimate Jogger, Kinji Saruwatari!"

Kinji was silent, rendered speechless by the explanation. Saruwatari tilted his head to the side.

"I assume that afterwards, you went back to Ren's room and changed back into your own clothes." He asked. Ren nodded, finally able to speak normally again.

"That would make sense since Ren was the one who woke me up and told me I had slept in."

Kinji couldn't reply. His head was hung low, his hair hiding his expression. Mayu signalled Monokuma.

"We're ready to vote." She said. Monokuma quickly stood up.

"Alright! It's time for the long awaited voting time! Please use the levers next to you to vote. Will you choose the right one? Or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna be!?"

Reluctantly, we all pulled the levers. A screen came down at the side of the room, showing a short animation of a jackpot machine. The face that appeared on the machine was Kinji's.

"Correct!" Monokuma shouted. "Congratulations! The identity of the killer, Koizumi's murderer and the one who tried to frame his own brother, is Kinji Saruwatari!"

Monokuma danced around a bit, but the rest of us were less than thrilled. Did this mean that Kinji was going to get punished? Was he going to get executed? Why would he do such a stupid thing? Why did he kill her? I needed to know.

"Why did you do it Kinji?" I asked. Tears forming in my eyes. "Why would you kill someone? Why would you frame your own brother? Why did you lie to us? To me?"

"It wasn't you guys that I wanted to fool. It was Monokuma." He said. He looked up. I had expected him to be crying, but his eyes and cheeks were dry. "I thought that if even our own parents got us mixed up, he would too, and he would think that Ren had committed the murder." Asami tilted her head to the side.

"Why would you want Monokuma to think that?" She asked. Kinji sighed.

"I knew that Ren wouldn't murder anyone, so if he was going to get out, then I'd have to step in." He explained. "I came up with a plan and chose a victim. Koizumi was the obvious choice because as the Ultimate Forensic Scientist, she'd figure all of this out right away. I found out that she went to the library every morning and put my plan into action. I bought the soporific and snuck it into Ren's drink when I visited. I couldn't have him walking around after all. My plan would be ruined if someone saw both of us." Saruwatari nodded.

"I know that I would find it suspicious if I saw two Ren's walking around."

"Exactly." Kinji said, before continuing his explanation. "I really wasn't trying to frame him. I was just trying to trick Monokuma. And if I had just pushed her off in the first place, then she wouldn't have grabbed the belt. Then I actually might have been able to pull it all off." Michiyo shook her head.

"We still would have found the bottle, and the bloody message, and the blood on your shoe." She said. Kinji laughed, apparently finding that funny.

"I guess murder really isn't my strong suit." He said smiling. "I never really was good at anything besides sports. I always had Ren to help me with everything else." When Kinji said this, I heard Ren sigh.

"You idiot." He said. "Why couldn't you just let me take care of myself?" Kinji shrugged.

"I don't know." He replied. "I just... didn't want to be here anymore, and I realized that if only one person could get out, I wanted that person to be you. After all, you're smarter than me, and you have so much more to offer the world."

I expected Ren to have some sort of response to this. To say Kinji was wrong, or even call him an idiot again. But instead, he simply closed his eyes and sighed. Kinji then turned to me.

"I'm sorry that I lied to you Yui." He said. "The only thing I was thinking about this whole trial was that if I pulled it off, it would mean that you... that all of you guys would die. I'm almost happy that you guys figured it out, because that means you get to keep on living, even if it's in a horrible place like this."

Monokuma pulled out a hammer from behind the chair and turned to face Kinji.

"Alright!" He said. "It's time for the punishment." Kinji shrugged.

"Okay." He said. Monokuma looked over in shock.

"Really?" He asked. "You're okay with this? You aren't going to beg for your life or anything?" Kinji just shook his head.

"Well, if my plan had worked out, I would have ended up dying with everyone else anyways, and even though I got scared earlier, I think I'm prepared now." Monokuma shrugged.

"If you say so. In that case, I've prepared a very special punishment for the Kinji Saruwatari, the Ultimate Jogger! Let's give it everything we've got! It's Punishment time!"

Monokuma let the hammer fall onto the large red button in front of him. Suddenly, part of the wall opened up, revealing a long corridor. A chain appeared from the hall and wrapped around Kinji's neck. Despite the fact that he was smiling, the fear was obvious in his face. The chain pulled and Kinji was swept off his feet. He began to be dragged into the hallway. As we watched this happen, I felt someone running next to me towards the corridor. Turning to look, I saw Ren, reaching out towards his brother.

"KINJI!" He shouted as the door that had appeared slammed shut. The room was silent before an image appeared on the screen from earlier. We turned to look and saw Kinji being dragged through the corridor. After a moment, he was in a strange room. It almost looked like another hallway. The chain released him and he started walking forwards. Just as we all thought he might be safe, death appeared in the form of a giant bolder. It landed behind him and prepared to roll towards him. Horrified, Kinji began to do the one thing he did best. He ran. Desperately he ran faster and faster down the hallway, the bolder slowly getting closer and closer, until it finally caught up. Before our very eyes, Kinji was crushed to death. Covered in blood, the bolder continued rolling before slowly coming to a stop. There was nothing left.

We all stood in a daze, incapable of comprehending the horrible and gory scene we had just witnessed. Once again, I felt my hands trembling and my head grew fuzzy, but I stayed conscious. My body refused to even allow me the comfort of sleep. We stood silent for what seemed like an eternity. I desperately wished for it all to be a dream. Hoping that i would wake up. But hope had left me, and all I felt now was despair.

"We should go back." Someone said. Somehow finding the strength to move, I saw that the person who had spoken was Saruwatari. He gestured to the elevator and we all followed him, returning to the surface, our hearts heavy with the horrors we had found beneath the city.

Somehow, we all found ourselves back at the dining hall. Sota was panicking, Missa was sitting in a chair crying with Isoya standing close by, still showing no emotion. Oddly enough, Mayu was silent, and Nori seemed to be trying to hide her fear, but couldn't. Koharu spoke quietly to herself while Akio could barely even move. As I watched them all, still horrified by Kinji's execution, I noticed Ren. The mathematician seemed completely neutral. I approached him, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Are you okay Ren?" I asked.

"Yes. Of course." He replied. "After all, this was Kinji's fault. He was an idiot for thinking he could outsmart Monokuma." Upon hearing this, Asami stood up, her fear transforming into anger.

"That's your brother that you're talking about!" She said angrily. Ren turned to her. I realized in his face that his shield was beginning to crack. He wasn't alright. It was even more obvious once he began to speak.

"Well how do you want me to react to this?" He asked. "Should I believe that Koizumi is still alive? Should I believe that this is all a dream? Should I believe that I didn't just see my brother crushed to death by a giant bolder!? If I did that, it would give me nothing but false hope. My brother died because he committed a murder and got caught. It's not Monokuma's fault, or the Mastermind that controls him. It's his own."

Ren paused, trying to regain his composure.

"I'm never going to see him again, Because he tried to save me. He's gone, and there's nothing I can do about it. To think about it in any other way would be irrational."

We all stared in silence. Ren closed his eyes and took some deep breaths before turning to face Asami again.

"Was that reaction more to your liking?" He asked. "Or do you wish to see me lose control again?" Asami had no idea how to respond.

"I... um..." Ren cut her off before she could even form a single word.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," He said, standing up. "I'm going to retire for the night."

And then he left. I had never seen Ren like that before. I realized that he must have been suffering even more than the rest of us. After all, we had lost a friend, but he had lost his brother.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

After the trial, no one could get any sleep. All of our minds were haunted by the crime scene. Haunted by Kinji's execution. Haunted by what we had done. We were the ones that had pulled the lever. Kinji had been so nice to me. To everyone. He had brought us hope in this despair ridden world. But then he was gone. We voted for him to be punished. We killed him.

I got out of bed and began pacing back and forth. I needed to do something to keep my mind occupied. My thoughts turned to Ren. He had seemed so distressed in the dining hall. I decided to go check on him.

Grabbing my hoodie, I left my room. After locking my door, I turned around and ran straight into Isoya.

"Oh! Sorry!" I said quickly. "I didn't see you there." I backed up out of his personal space.

"It's fine." He said. "I should have been looking where I was going."

Once he finished speaking, we stood in silence for a bit. Since I couldn't get a read on him, I never knew what to say to Isoya. Instead, I looked around. It was very dark out, and besides a few scattered lamp posts, the only source of light was the stars. I couldn't make out anything on the ground, so instead I looked up. I wasn't used to being able to see so many stars. The view was breathtaking. I realized however, that I was standing with my head back and mouth open in awe, with Isoya less than a meter away watching. Embarrassed, I looked at the ground, trying to distract him from what I had just done.

"So what are you doing out so late?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Miss Missa was in a state of shock after what happened. He explained. "She wouldn't leave the dining hall, so I stayed with her and carried her to her room once she fell asleep. Now I am heading back to my own room to rest."

"Right." I said. "The rules say that you can't sleep anywhere other than the hotel, so it would have been bad if she had slept there." After bit more silence, Isoya spoke again.

"Might I ask what _you_ are doing out so late?" He asked.

"I was having trouble sleeping." I answered. "So I thought that I should go check on Ren." Isoya shook his head.

"It's best to give him time to come to terms with the loss of his brother." He said. I nodded. He was right.

"Do you feel sad that we lost Kinji and Koizumi?" I asked. He always seemed so composed, so I wanted to know. Isoya was silent for a bit. Perhaps he was trying to figure out his answer.

"Death is simply a part of life." He said. "When someone close to you is lost, rather than mourn for them, you should honour them. Promise that you will never forget the effect they had on your life, and use their death as a reminder to cherish every moment of your own life as if it is your last."

I was speechless. Not only had I not expected him to say so much, but I hadn't expected his words to be so profound either. Seeing that I had nothing to say in response, Isoya gestured to my door.

"You should try to get some rest." He said. I nodded before returning to my room and leaving the cold night air behind me.

For some reason, I found Isoya's words very comforting. Laying down on my bed, I pulled the covers around me. Feeling warm and relaxed, I fell into a deep sleep.

A few hours later I was up and about again, heading to the dining hall in the morning. I noticed Hamano walking ahead of me and decided to say hello. Perhaps some positive energy could help people cope with what had happened the day before.

"Good morning Hamano!" I said cheerfully. He brushed off my greeting. I could see the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"I don't see what's so good about it." He spat. "I was kept up all last night by someone crying."

Someone had been crying? I felt an urge to help whoever it was. Now that Kinji was gone, someone had to try to make people smile.

"Do you know who?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Some girl."

I decided that I didn't want to talk to Hamano anymore, and it seemed like he felt the same way about me. Instead, I walked over to Bessihiki who was a bit ahead of Hamano.

"Good morning Bessihiki!" I said, once again trying to be cheerful.

"Morning." Bessihiki mumbled, before quickening his pace to get away from me. I sighed. It seemed like I wasn't as good at cheering people up as Kinji was. Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder.

"Don't mind them." They said. Turning around I saw that it was Koharu. She smiled and continued talking.

"They're all just trying to cope with what happened yesterday. Everyone adjusts at different speeds." I nodded. Perhaps it was best to just leave them be, just like Isoya said to do with Ren.

"Yeah." I said. "I guess what Isoya said helped me out a bit."

But even so, his words weren't going to change the fact that the dining hall was going to be emptier. It had been around this time that we had noticed that Koizumi was missing the day before. I felt my stomach knot at the thought. I hoped that everyone would be there today.

"If you don't have anyone to sit with, you can sit with us." Koharu offered.

Us? I looked around trying to see who else she was talking about. Since Hamano and Bessihiki had passed us already, we were the only ones there. I shrugged. Koharu could be a bit odd at times, but it was still nice of her to offer. We headed to the dining hall and I opened the door for her.

As the door opened, it was almost like the atmosphere had a physical presence. It sent a chill down my spine. Was it fear? Sadness? I tried to figure out a word to describe it.

Despair.

Looking around I saw that besides Nori and Hamano, who were eating their food complacently, everyone was silently picking at their breakfast. Koharu and I walked inside, taking in the dreary room and people. After a moment, Sota entered as well.

"Hey guys." He said encouragingly. "I know that our situation isn't the best, but we need to try and lighten up! I mean... If we don't do that, then we'll..." His voice trailed off as he realized that his words were having no effect. Defeated, he walked over to a table and sat down, Koharu did the same. I almost felt like leaving, having lost my appetite, and even turned towards the door to do so. Instead, I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw Ren standing in front of the exit. Everyone turned to look at him before looking away again. I could see that they felt guilty. I did as well. After all, we were the ones who condemned his brother to death. Ren however, simply cleared his throat.

"I don't need your pity." He said. "But if you will give me your attention for a moment, I have some news that might interest you."

We all turned to face him again, curious as to what he he had to say. Seeing that he had our attention, Ren continued.

"As I was was taking a walk this morning, I noticed two things." He said. "First, the crime scene has been cleared away."

"What do you mean cleared away?" Akio asked.

"The message, the books strewn across the floor, Koizumi's body, they're all gone." Ren replied. Saruwatari slowly nodded his head.

"It must have been Monokuma." He said.

"Probably." Akio added. "After all. None of us would have wanted to go near that place."

Finally looking away from his food for a moment, Hamano tilted his head to the side. Slowly spinning his fork in his hand.

"I agree." He said. "But this raises the question as to why you went there Ren? Remember what happened to your brother when he went to the library at such an early hour?"

Mayu stood up, her fists clenched.

"Hamano!?" She shouted. "How can you be so insensitive?" Hamano just shrugged.

"I'm just saying that we should watch our backs." He said innocently. "After all, we all voted for his brother to be punished, so what's stopping him from trying to get revenge?"

I turned to Ren, fearful that that might have been his plan, but I could see that I was wrong. In response to Hamano's comment, Ren closed his eyes. He almost looked... hurt. But he snapped out of this quickly and continued speaking.

"No. I voted for him as well. I'm just as much to blame for his death as all of you. Perhaps even more so. Nonetheless, I'm not looking for revenge. Kinji was executed so we could live, and I'm not going to throw away the life he gave us so easily."

Once again we were all silent. I couldn't help but notice that Ren seemed to be blaming himself for what happened to Kinji. Hamano simply scoffed and turned back to his food. Seeing that we had nothing to say, Ren continued.

"To answer your question, I'm not sure why I went to the library. For some reason, I just happened to wander there. I understand that that's a horrible excuse, but it's the truth."

"You said you noticed two things." Michiyo said, interrupting. "What's the second thing?"

"I also noticed that the trains are now working." Ren answered.

I felt the atmosphere shift. People began muttering to each other, shocked by this new development. Saruwatari's voice was louder than the rest.

"So that means we can go through the tunnel right?" He asked. "Do you think that it's a way out?" Bessihiki shook his head.

"I doubt it. Monokuma isn't that nice."

"Even if it's not a way out," Mayu began. "We should still go check it out! Who knows! Monokuma could have had a change of heart!" Nori tossed her hair. I realized that she did that a lot.

"You're such an idiot." She said. Mayu frowned and sat back down. I decided to see if I could use this new development to help cheer everyone up. Or at least distract them.

"Way out or not," I said. "We should go check it out."

Nodding, everyone began to stand and head out the door, until only five of us were left. Looking around, I saw that Nori, Isoya, Missa and Ren had all stayed behind.

"Idiots." Nori said. "Why waste your time looking at something like that? It's too much work to head all the way over there just to be disappointed."

Something told me that I wasn't going to be able to change her mind, so I headed over to Missa instead. I hadn't expected her to stay behind.

"Are you going to go, Missa?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I want to." She said quietly. "But I don't think I can. I'm feeling kind of light headed."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" I asked. It wouldn't be right to leave her alone while she wasn't feeling well. She quickly looked up, shaking her head again.

"No, that's fine!" She said. "I'd feel horrible if they found something important and you missed it because of me."

I was still reluctant, but then I felt someone's hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry Yui." They said. "I'll stay with her. You can join the others."

Turning around, I saw that it was Isoya. I remembered that I still needed to thank him for what he had said before, but decided that now wasn't the best time. Nodding I headed towards the door. Ren was still standing next to it, seemingly deep in thought. I gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you going to go, Ren?" I asked. He jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Certainly. I just..." He cleared his throat. I realized that he was having trouble with what he was trying to say, but I was pretty sure I knew what it was.

"It's weird not having him here. Isn't it?" I said. He nodded, glad that I had understood.

"Yes." He replied. "We've been together our whole lives, and now, it feels strange. It feels like something is missing." I nodded. I could understand what he was feeling, but I wasn't sure how to cheer him up. I thought about what Kinji had done to help me.

"The night before _it_ happened," I said. "Kinji came to my room. He told me about how you and him didn't have many friends growing up."

Perhaps mentioning that wasn't the best plan. It's not nice to remind people that they don't have friends. Ren smiled anyways.

"He told you that did he?" He asked. "He must have held you in high regards."

"What do you mean?"

"He may have seemed like he was social and open to the world," Ren explained. "But in reality there were very few people he really trusted. If he told you about his childhood, you two must have been close." Ren was still smiling, even if his eyes still seemed sad, so it seemed like this was cheering him up a bit.

"Not nearly as close as you two." I replied. Once again, I thought back to when Kinji had visited me. Without thinking about what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around Ren. Holding him close just like Kinji had done for me.

"I'm really sorry Ren. I..." Tears began falling down my cheeks. Ren seemed shocked for a moment, and then quickly backed away.

"There's no need for you to apologize." He said, looking away as he fixed his glasses. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you. Because Kinji tried to save me, you lost your friend. I'm sorry for your loss."

With that said, he nodded and turned towards the door.

"We should try to catch up with the others." He said. I nodded and followed him outside. It was weird. Even though Ren seemed rude and seclusive, he was actually a nice guy. He did care about the rest of us, even if he said he shouldn't.

Him and Kinji were more similar than they had thought.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The train rattled back and forth as we went through the tunnel. Outside the windows was dark, but luckily the inside was well lit by the lights on the ceiling. We were all sitting down on the chairs or standing using the provided bars for support. It had been quiet, until Koharu's voice broke the silence.

"Who do you think drives the train?" She asked. I had been wondering the same thing. Apparently, Bessihiki knew the answer.

"It's remote controlled." He explained. "Or automatic if you prefer."

"How do you know that?" Sota asked.

"Well," Besshiki said. "The train stopped for exactly a minute before leaving. The doors also almost closed before everyone made it on."

I blushed, remembering the close encounter I had had once Ren and I had caught up to the others.

"Thanks again for pulling me in Saruwatari." I said. "I almost lost my nose." The vet shrugged.

"No problem." He said. He always managed to be laid back. I'd have to ask him what his secret was.

"So you determined that it's automatic from such small details?" Michiyo asked. Bessihiki sighed.

"Of course not." He said. "I just saw that there wasn't a driver when the train pulled up."

I saw Sota's shoulders slump.

"Really?" He asked. "That's disappointing. I thought you were secretly a super sleuth or something."

"Real men aren't so gullible!" Akio said.

"Don't talk like you know what a real man is!" Bessihiki snapped. "You're basing your opinion off of nothing but stereotypes."

We were all shocked by Bessihiki's reaction. He had almost seemed offended by what Akio had said. I was also surprised by how much he was talking. However, I didn't have time to think about it since Koharu began pointing outside.

"You're right!" She said. "That _is_ the end of the tunnel!"

We all turned to where she was pointing. I could see the end of the tunnel approaching. What secrets were at the end? What was waiting for us at the next station? As the train left the tunnel, it was immediately filled with sunlight. It slowly came to a stop at the station, revealing a second area. We all left the train and took in our surroundings.

It was similar to the first area, triangular in shape and surrounded by giant grey walls. However, the actual area seemed to be some kind of shopping centre. The entire thing was one long street lined with shops. From the train station, I could see all the way to the other end. There was no red door this time. As I tried to soak all of this in, Mayu tried to get everyone's attention.

"Okay!" She said. "To keep this investigation efficient, we should do it the same way did before."

She took out her E-Handbook and began counting what I assumed were the amount of buildings. Once she was finished with that, she counted all of us. 

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "There are eleven buildings, and eleven of us! What a crazy random happenstance!"

I wasn't sure I knew what that meant, but Mayu seemed happy, so I didn't care to much about it.

"So everyone choose a spot to investigate!" Mayu continued. "And we'll meet at the dining hall in one hour!" Once everyone had chosen, we split up. I decided to investigate a small building near the train tracks. Following the map on my E-Handbook, I made my way to my destination. It turns out that the building itself was less than interesting. It was small and grey, and was more of a cement shack than a building. Walking up to it, I tried the door. It was locked. I debated knocking, but remembered what had happened last time I knocked on a locked door.

"Great." I said to myself. "What am I supposed to tell the others? I don't even know what the building is." Apparently, _he_ knew.

"This is the train control room! I keep it locked so the trains will run on schedule!" Monokuma exclaimed, causing me to jump. I really wished he would stop doing that.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, not really expecting any kind of actual answer.

"I can appear anywhere I want! Truth is, I'm a magical bear! I have a huge transformation sequence and everything!"

Yep... not an actual answer.

"Can you get lost?" I asked. "Just looking at you makes me feel sick."

"Puhuhu!" Monokuma laughed, striking a pose that I think he meant to be seductive. The effect was kind of lost when he did it.

"Why?" He asked. "Do I remind you of your dead boyfriend?"

"Kinji was my friend!" I said defensively. This just made Monokuma laugh even more. I clenched my fists, trying to hold myself back. "And I don't need you reminding me that he's gone. This is all your fault!"

"My fault!?" Monokuma said innocently. "But I didn't force him to kill her. It was his choice! Besides, if you go on blaming others for your own problems, you're not going to make many friends here."

"Why would you care if I make friends or not?" I asked. Every time this bear opened his mouth he became more and more confusing.

"Puhuhu. It just creates more despair if it's friends killing friends!" He answered. "It's no fun if you're all complete strangers! But wait! Technically you guys are friends already. You just don't remember it. Bwahahaha"

Nothing about what he had said was funny he knew that. Was he just trying to get on my nerves?

"You're talking about our stolen memories, right?" I asked. The idea had seemed farfetched, but everything that happened in this horrible place made it more and more believable.

"Puhuhu! That's right!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Though, don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

I looked at the time on my E-Handbook. As much as I didn't want to agree with Monokuma, he was right. I ran off, leaving Monokuma laughing behind me. I really hated that bear.

Everyone had gathered back at the dining hall. It seemed like once again, I was the last one. Once the door closed behind me. Mayu clapped her hands together.

"Okay!" She said. "That's everyone so..." She looked around at the group. "Why don't you go first Saruwatari?"

"Sure." He replied. "I was investigating the repository behind the art store. There were some hammers, and blue tarps, plus a lot of other art stuff, but that was about it."

"There was also a lot of art supplies in the art store." Koharu added. Mayu nodded.

"Alright." She said. "What else did everyone find?"

"I found some cool stuff at the convenience store." Asami said before yawning. "Lots of snacks and car fresheners. No sports drinks though."

She sounded disappointed when she said the last part. Seeing that she had nothing else to say, Mayu went next.

"I found a toy store, but it was all little kid stuff." She said.

"Forget toys." Akio exclaimed. "I found a store that sells nothing but tools!"

Unlike Asami, Akio seemed positively ecstatic. Ren sighed and shared what he found.

"There was a large variety of medications at the drug store." He said. "But nothing that couldn't already be found at the pharmacy."

"There's also a clothing store." Hamano said. "Perhaps some of you could try changing your hideous outfits now."

Ignoring, Hamano's comment, Sota shared next.

"There was a furniture store too! In case anyone wanted something for their rooms."

"And a gift shop." Michiyo added. I expected her to say more, but apparently that was it.

"I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that I found an electronics store." Bessihiki said. Everyone's eyes seemed to light up. Maybe there was something that we could use to call for help. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

"There's nothing of use in there though." Besihiki continued. "I looked for any kind of communication device, but couldn't find a thing."

"I couldn't find anything either." I said. "The building I chose was the train control room, but the door is locked."

We all sat in silence for a bit, disappointed that we couldn't find a way out.

"So based on the shape of the two areas," Asami began, breaking the silence. "I'm guessing that Monocity is a big circle." Sota nodded.

"And Monokuma just opens up another area when we finish a class trial?" He asked. If that was the case, I hoped that the second area was the last area we opened. As I thought this, I heard Hamano laugh.

"It's kind of like a prize." he said cheerfully. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

"What do you mean a prize?!" I shouted. "We don't deserve a prize for sentencing our friends to death!" Hamano raised his hands in mock defence.

"Woah there!" He said. "Looks like it's that time of the month."

"You mean September 7th?" Akio asked. Mayu sighed.

"No, you idiot."

Akio still seemed confused, but we all ignored him, focusing on the bigger problem. Hamano yawned, stretching his arms out.

"Well," he said. "If we're finished here, I'm going to get some rest. I didn't get any sleep tonight thanks to one of you girls bawling all night."

Once he had said this, he left the dining hall. We all stood there in disbelief. After a moment of silence, I heard Missa whisper under her breath.

"I-I didn't mean to be so loud." She said, tears forming in her eyes again.

I felt the urge to chase after Hamano and punch him in the face, but I knew that violence wouldn't help anyone.

"Oh! I just remembered!"

Saruwatari's voice broke us from our thoughts. He looked around and saw that we were all listening.

"I found these in the repository." He said, taking two pictures out of his pocket. One picture was of a boy in a white school uniform. His hair was short and black and his eyes were red. He seemed to be very tense and his posture was perfect. The other photo was of a large boy with pointed hair and round glasses. His grey jacket was undone and he was wearing a blue and red tie and a backpack. After examining the photos, Koharu tilted her head to the side.

"They might be reference photos." She said. "Some artists use them when they need to see what they're drawing." I shook my head, knowing that wasn't the case.

"No. I don't think that's what they are." I said.

"Really?" Akio asked. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, I found two other photos like this already." I said. "One was in my bathroom and the other was in the gym." Bessihiki tapped his fingers on the table he was sitting at, looking at the photos in Saruwatari's hand.

"It could just be Monokuma trying to confuse us." He suggested.

"Or they could be people that used to live here." Asami added. Ren fixed his glasses.

"Either way," He said. "There's not enough information to make any assumptions yet." Mayu nodded and put her hands on her hips.

"In that case," She said. I guess we're finished for today. And maybe Yui should take the pictures, she already has two after all."

Saruwatari handed me the photos and I put them in my pocket. Were they really just Monokuma trying to trick us? Once again, Mayu clapped her hands together.

"You guys can all go and do what you want then, we're done here." She said. Everyone began to leave. As Nori passed by me, I heard her mumbling to herself.

"Who died and made her boss?" She asked. Once she had passed I noticed Ren standing behind where she had been. It seemed like he had hesitated when he had heard what Nori had said. I started to head towards him, but he continued walking. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Looking around, I saw that the only people left were Bessihiki and I. Having nothing else to do, I decided to go and talk to him. Perhaps he would be able to explain his behaviour earlier on the train.

"Bessihiki?" I asked once I was close enough. He turned to face me.

"Yes. That's my name." He said bluntly. I had forgotten that he wasn't the biggest conversationalist.

"Sorry." I said quickly. "I just... earlier, on the train, you seemed to be bothered by what Akio said. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Why would I want to talk about it?"

"Well, you're usually pretty quiet, so I thought something might be wrong." I said. Bessihiki sighed.

"I guess I'll rephrase my question." He said. "Why would I talk about it with _you_? We've barely ever spoken to each other." I shook my head. It seemed like he was getting close to opening up, so I just needed to push a little harder.

"That's not true." I argued. "We went to Hopes Peak together! I'm sure we talked a lot then."

Bessihiki was silent for a moment as he processed what I said.

"I guess you're right." He admitted. "In that case, I'll talk. It's not like I have anything better to do."

He began tapping his fingers on the table. I realized that he did that a lot. Perhaps it was a nervous tick? Or maybe just a side effect of being the Ultimate Hacker. I debated asking him about it, but decided against it. He was already answering one of my questions, it would be better to not push it.

"Well, he's always saying "A real man does this" and "A real man never does that." And it just pisses me off." Bessihiki said.

"Would you mind if I asked why?" I asked. Kind of redundantly.

"I already said that I'd talk didn't I?" Bessihiki replied. He sounded annoyed, so I apologized and let him continue.

"I have a cousin who isn't the manliest person. He was always told that he wasn't manly enough, and it got to him. He changed who he was and started pretending that he was a girl. The fact that their misconceptions of what a man should or shouldn't be drove him to become ashamed and change himself pissed me off. He should have been proud of who he was."

Bessihiki was becoming very emotional as he spoke. I was happy that he was finally opening up, but it seemed like remembering his cousin caused him emotional pain.

"You seem to really like your cousin." I said. "Were you guys close?" Bessihiki nodded.

"Yeah. Until he started acting like a girl." He said. "He tended to avoid anyone who knew about his secret. Though, if what Monokuma said is true, then I must have gotten to see him again."

What Monokuma said? Was he talking about our erased memories?

"You mean he went to Hopes Peak Academy?" I asked. Once again, Bessihiki nodded.

"Yeah. He was an amazing programmer." He said. "He actually taught me everything I know about computers." Once he finished talking, Bessihiki chuckled.

"It's funny." He said. "I'm not used to talking to people for this long. I usually avoid talking to people in person. Online chat is a lot easier."

That did make sense. As the Ultimate Hacker, he probably spent a lot of time online.

"I guess that's not an option in here."

"One more reason to get out. I hope someone comes soon so I can see him again."

Bessihiki stood up and began heading towards the door. "Well, I need to go now. I want to check out those shops again." He said. He opened the door, but hesitated before leaving.

"Don't expect me to open up like this next time we talk." He said, and then he left, leaving me alone in the dining hall.

Was that really Bessihiki that I had been talking to? He seemed like a completely different person. I felt like Bessihiki and I had grown closer today.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I knocked on the door a second time, waiting for a response. Once I had finished my conversation with Bessihiki, I had decided to check on Missa, but it seemed like she wasn't home. Still getting no response, I started walking away.

"Are you looking for Missa?" Someone asked. I looked around and saw Saruwatari standing nearby.

"She's looking at the second area since she didn't get to before." He said. I smiled and thanked him before heading off towards the train station. It wasn't until a bit later that I realized Saruwatari was walking with me. I stopped walking and Saruwatari looked at me, a confused look on his face.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, realizing what the problem was. "I hope you don't mind me joining you. I was actually on my way to check on Missa too." I shrugged. There was no reason to not let him tag along. Maybe this could be a chance to get to know him a little better. We started walking again, enjoying each others company.

"So." I said after we had reached the train station. "You're the Ultimate Vet right? What got you into veterinary work?" He smiled.

"Well," He said, smiling. "When I was little, I always dreamed of going to Hopes Peak Academy. I tried my hardest to get good enough at something so I could. I chose to be a vet since I love animals."

I couldn't help but smile. Everything Saruwatari had just said was so innocent. So hopeful. It also made me feel bad that I had made it into Hopes Peak so easily when he had worked his entire life to get there. I was nothing like all the Ultimates. After all, my luck was the only thing I had going for me at the school. That's why I didn't want to go. Apparently I had went anyways though.

"It's a shame we can't remember the time we spent at Hopes Peak." I said. Saruwatari nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "All those years, those memories, they're all gone." The train arrived and we got on. I could tell that thinking about our memories made him sad, so I tried to change the subject.

"You were going to check on Missa too?" I asked. Once again, he nodded.

"She said she was feeling light headed, so I was worried."

"Me to." I said. "But if she's in the second area now, that must mean she's feeling better."

Saruwatari nodded and the train reached it's destination. We got off and began looking around for Missa. Eventually we found her near the gift shop.

"Hey Missa!" I said as we walked over. She jumped from the noise and turned towards us, relaxing once she realized who it was.

"Hello Yui." She said. "And you too Saruwatari."

Saruwatari waved and smiled.

"So what are you looking for?" He asked. "Or have you just been browsing around the shops?"

"Me?" Missa asked. I'm not sure who else he could have been talking to. Missa quickly fixed her glasses before answering.

"I was seeing if I could find any instruments in the stores." She said.

"So you play other things besides the piano?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No." She said. "Ever since I was three years old, the only instrument I've played is the piano."

"Three years old!?" I exclaimed. She nodded.

"Yep." She said. "And I was playing concerts by the age of four. I learned how to read music before I learned how to read words."

I couldn't believe anyone could have a childhood like that. Did that mean she spent all her time practising? Didn't her parents let her have any fun? While I thought about this, Missa kept talking.

"I was hoping I could spend my time here learning new instruments using the music books in the library." She explained. Saruwatari smiled again.

"That's awesome!" He said. "It's nice to know that people haven't given up hope yet."

I couldn't help but smile too, though I also couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Looking around, I realized what it was.

"Hey Missa?" I asked. "Where's Isoya?" Isn't he usually with you?"

"He's in the gift shop." Missa answered. "He offered to look there since I'm not very good with tight spaces."

As if on cue, the gift shop door opened and Isoya stepped out onto the street. After a quick nod to Saruwatari and I, he turned to Missa.

"I apologize," he said. "But there weren't any instruments. Just a strange thing called a Monomono machine." Missa nodded and thanked him.

"Well, that was the last shop." She said. "I guess I won't be learning new instruments then."

"You're already amazing at the piano." Saruwatari said. "I'm sure that if there were instruments here, you'd be amazing at them too."

His compliment made Missa smile, and her and Isoya said goodbye and left. I realized that that was the first time I had seen Missa really smile since we had been thrown into this situation. Saruwatari tapped my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I think I'm going to go check out that Monomono machine." He said. "Do you wanna come?" I shook my head.

"No thanks." I replied. "I'm going to try my best to avoid anything that has "Mono" in it's name. Even more so if it has it twice." Saruwatari shrugged and headed towards the gift shop, waving goodbye as he went. Once again, was left alone. I decided to head back to my room, but stopped when I heard some noise coming from the furniture store. Heading inside, I heard a bell as the door closed. From the entrance I couldn't see anyone, but I could definitely hear them. Walking further into the store, I saw that Akio and Hamano were the source of the noise. The two of them were arguing and it looked like it could escalate into a physical fight at any moment.

"Guys!" I said. "What's wrong? Why are you fighting?" Both of them refused to take their eyes off the other. I assumed it was for defensive reasons.

"You wouldn't be able to understand." Akio said. "You know. Since you're a girl."

"She still probably has more brains than you." Hamano said back. "Not much more, but still more."

I had been trying to help them, but now I didn't care if they beat each other to a pulp. In fact, I kind of hoped they would. What kind of person says that to someone? Angry and feeling insulted, I left the store. I didn't want to get dragged into their drama, and I was sure that if they used what little brain power they had they could come up with a solution on their own. Right then, all I wanted to do was go back to my room and rest.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _Rustle Rustle Rustle_

The sound was faint, but still managed to find its way into my subconscious. Sitting up, I looked around for the source. My room was empty. Not even the shadows were moving.

 _Rustle Rustle Rustle_

There it was again. It had come from outside. My hands were shaking as I slowly moved towards the door. I wanted to just ignore the noise and go back to bed, but I couldn't shake the feeling that if I did that someone would get hurt.

But couldn't that someone end up being me?

Shaking my head get rid of the fear, I opened the door. No one was there.

 _Rustle Rustle Rustle_

I followed the sound until I saw two figures near one of the street lights. One of them was near the ground, while the other was a few steps away. Moving slowly, I silently approached them. Had someone else fallen into Monokuma's trap? Suddenly, one of the figures looked my way.

"Who's there?"

The voice... it was Mayu's. Despite my mind telling me to run, I moved towards the director.

"It's me. Yui." I said. As I got closer I realized that the person near the ground was Sota, and he was... gardening?

"Hey Yui!" Mayu said. "Wow! You really scared me." She started laughing. Confused, I looked between the two of them. Sota hadn't noticed me yet.

"Is he... gardening?" I asked, pointing at the boy. Mayu nodded.

"I heard him moving around, so I followed him out here. It turns out he gardens in his sleep."

"Why don't we wake him up then?" I asked. I was very confused. Sleep gardening? Really? Mayu shook her head.

"Nope." She said bluntly. "You should never wake someone up if they're sleepwalking."

I looked at Sota. He had dug several holes and was dropping seeds into them. Somehow he managed to hit his mark with every hole even though he was asleep.

"Then should we wait until he wakes up?" I asked. Mayu shrugged.

"That's what I've been doing." She said. "But he's been at it for at least an hour now, and it's starting to get chilly." Now that she mentioned it, I realized that she was shivering. Perhaps I didn't feel it as much because I was wearing my hoodie.

"Go to bed Mayu." I said. "I'll stay with him until he wakes up."

Mayu seemed extremely relieved as she said goodbye, returning to her room. I sat on the ground near Sota, not wanting to make my legs sore. After all, I felt like I was going to be there for a while.

Less than 5 minutes had passed before Sota began to talk in his sleep.

"Mom, are you there?"

What? Was he talking to me?

"You heard about Santa right?" He asked. "I can't believe my own brother got accepted into Hopes Peak."

After quite a bit more confusion, I realized that he was dreaming about talking to his mom. Still not able to wake him up, I decided to just wait it out.

"Do you really think it will help?" He asked. "Even if it does, we'll be on our own until then."

One their own? What was he talking about? I almost felt like I shouldn't be eavesdropping, but I also knew that I couldn't leave him alone.

"We _will_ figure it out one day mom." He said. "Santa and I. We'll figure it out."

After saying this, Sota got up and started walking back to the Hotel. I followed behind him until he got to his room. Once his door closed, I started walking back to my own room. I felt exhausted and started wondering if this was just a dream. Sleep gardening? Something like that couldn't be real.

"Gooood morning everyone! It is now 7am and night time is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

I still hated having to hear that every morning. Even more so when I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Reluctantly, I got up and headed towards the dining hall. On the way, I noticed where Sota had been gardening the night before. The small dirt mounds where he had buried the seeds were still there.

So it hadn't been a dream.

Inside the dining hall, I sat down next to Koharu.

"Good morning Yui." She said cheerfully. "Glad you could sit with us!"

I didn't know if would be considered rude, but I decided to finally ask Koharu to explain herself.

"Hey, Koharu?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you say "us" when no one else is sitting here?" Koharu seemed confused for a moment.

"Oh! Right! Sometimes I forget that I'm the only one who can see them." Koharu laughed for a bit. I, on the other hand, failed to get the joke.

"I'm talking about my friends." Koharu said. "I've known them since Kindergarten. When I was very little, I got in a car accident. I hit my head and was asleep for a long time. Once I woke up, everyone at school stayed away from me. I also found it difficult to understand when the teacher taught us numbers and letters." She paused for a moment, her eyes more glazed than usual as she remembered her childhood.

"The only class I _did_ understand was art." She continued. "That's where I met my friends, and I wasn't lonely anymore!" Smiling, she began to pointing at the air around her.

"There's Erza, Ember, Spyrix and Gnome."

"Those are pretty... unique names." I said, thoroughly confused. Koharu laughed.

"Yeah, I guess they would be weird human names." She said. "But my friends aren't humans, they're my drawings! Erza is queen of the fairies, Ember is a phoenix, Spyrix is a tiny dragon, and Gnome is..."

"A gnome?" I asked. Koharu shook her head.

"No, he's a dwarf, but his mother was a gnome, so he kept the family name."

Was she being serious? She seemed to be serious and Koharu didn't seem to be the kind of person who would lie about something like this. So, that meant that the secret behind Koharu's amazing fantasy themed drawings was the fact that she was simply drawing these trauma induced hallucinations? No. She didn't know that they were hallucinations. She thought they were real. Heartbroken by her story, I decided to play along.

"It's a shame I'm not able to see them." I said. Koharu nodded.

"Yeah. I found out later that only I'm able to see them. They say it's because I'm the one who drew them." She smiled. "But if you want to talk to them, I'd be more than happy to help! They all want to know more about you."

"Maybe some other time." I said, trying to hold back my tears. Koharu had been through so much and hadn't even realized it. Luckily, Mayu came over at just that moment.

"Good morning guys!" She said cheerfully. I was happy for the distraction. I didn't think my heart could have handled anymore of Koharu's story.

"Good morning Mayu." I said. "You're full of energy today." Koharu smiled.

"I'm glad you're happy despite our situation." The artist said. Mayu tilted her head to the side.

"What situation?" She asked. "Everything is completely fine!"

Koharu began whispering to the air beside her.

"You're right Ember." She said softly. "She must be in denial."

Koharu was right. It seemed like Mayu was in denial. I thought back to what the artist had said before, about everyone coping in different ways. Mayu must have been coping by bottling her feelings up.

"So what happened after I left last night?" Mayu asked. I shrugged.

"After a while, he got up and went back to his room."

I figured it would be better to not share what Sota had said. It seemed like something personal and I was pretty sure that I shouldn't have heard it in the first place. Mayu nodded, but I could tell that she had been expecting something more exciting. Once she left, Koharu and I finished eating and went our separate ways.

I opened the door to the repository, and the smell of paint, glue and other art supplies wafted towards me. I had decided to see if I could find anything else related to the pictures. To my surprise, Bessihiki and Saruwatari were already in the room. They seemed to be having a serious conversation.

"What's wrong you guys?" I asked. They turned towards me. Apparently they hadn't noticed me enter before.

"Hey Yui." Saruwatari said. "I was just telling Bessihiki that the repository looked really familiar."

"We were trying to see if it had something to do with our stolen memories." Bessihiki added. "When Monokuma appeared and said that this room was based off the repository in Hopes Peak Academy."

"Why would that be a problem?" I asked. It made sense to me. After all, apparently we were all Hopes Peak alumni.

"Because," Bessihiki said. "Why would a city completely unrelated to Hopes Peak Academy have a room based off the school? It doesn't make sense."

I nodded and tried to come up with some sort of explanation.

"Maybe Monokuma did it." I suggested. "After all, that's not the only strange thing in the city."

"She's right." Saruwatari said. "The walls are strange too. I've pretty sure that if a city like this existed in Japan, we would know about it."

He was right. Giant walled cities weren't exactly something you saw on a country drive. Bessihiki nodded, tapping his finger on his leg.

"Not to mention the complete lack of people." He added. "I don't like large groups of people anyways, but this is ridiculous." I nodded. What was with this city? Perhaps if we managed to solve Monocity's secrets, we could get closer to escaping it.

"I need to get going though." Saruwatari said. "I'll see you guys later."

And with that said, he left, leaving Bessihiki and I alone.

"So..." I said. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Bessihiki sighed.

"Then don't beat around the bush and just ask."

"Sorry." I said quickly. "I just thought that since you're a hacker, and there's an electronics store here, did you find anything that could help us get out of here?"

"No." Bessihiki replied bluntly. "And besides, my skill is pretty useless in this situation. Hackers aren't capable of helping people."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Aren't _you_ a hacker?"

"I am." Bessihiki said. "But I also have a deep hatred for anyone who spends their time hacking into computers and other electronics. I'd much rather be a programmer like my cousin, or an accountant like my dad."

This was news to me.

"Your dad was an accountant?" I asked. Bessihiki nodded.

"Yeah." He said. I could see the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. "It sounds lame, but he was the best there was. He even worked for the Togami corporation."

The Togami corporation? They were an extremely successful corporation run by the Togami family. If he had been working for them then...

"He sounds amazing!" I exclaimed. The faint smile broke through and Bessihiki's face seemed to brighten at the thought of his dad.

"Yeah, he was."

"Was?" I asked. The smile disappeared.

"Yeah. Was." Bessihiki repeated. "After a certain incident, he, well..." I could see that this was a difficult topic for him to talk about.

"You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to." I said. "Though, there's something I don't understand. If you wanted to be a programmer, or an accountant, then, why are you a hacker?"

Suddenly, Bessihiki became very defensive.

"I have my reasons." He snapped. "But I don't need to share them with you."

I stepped back, frightened by the sudden change of character.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry." I said. Bessihiki opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as an electric buzz filled the room. It was the sound of the monitor turning on. Monokuma appeared on the screen.

"Ahem. Attention. Attention. Please make your way to the gym for a very important announcement. Attendance is mandatory, so don't even think about skipping out."

The monitor flickered off and I realized that Bessihiki had left while I wasn't looking. Curious as to what this _announcement_ was, I headed to the gym.

Apparently, I was once again the last one to arrive.

"Geez." Akio whined. "Why are girls so slow? All the guys were here ASAP." Next to him, I saw Hamano's lips curl into a smirk.

"I seem to remember you only getting here a moment before her" He said slyly. Akio turned towards him, his face flushed with colour.

"Then you must be remembering it wrong." He said angrily. Hamano wasn't intimidated.

"No. It left quite an impression." he replied. "After all, you walked in with your tail between your legs, and your face was still red from the slap." Somehow, Akio's face managed to become even more red.

"She caught me by surprise okay!" He shouted. Hamano just laughed, finding his embarrassment hilarious.

"Not hard to do considering how slow you are."

"What do you mean slow!?"

"You're slow. As in, not fast, or it could also mean unintelligent. Either definition works."

Now Akio seemed absolutely furious. He cracked his knuckles and I could see his veins popping out.

"How about we go right now?" He asked. "I'll beat you so fast you won't even have time to flinch!" Hamano seemed more interested in something that was stuck on his glove. He replied without even looking at the carpenter.

"No thanks." he said. "I'm worried that if I come in contact with you, some of your stupidity might rub off on me."

This was the last straw. Akio pulled back his arm to prepare the hit. I noticed that Hamano had tensed up, preparing for the punch. Had he actually thought that Akio wouldn't do it?

Akio pushed his fist forward towards Hamano, but then suddenly stopped mid-punch. Somehow, Isoya had managed to get to the fight and had grabbed Akio's arm. I hadn't even noticed him come over. It seemed like Hamano and Isoya hadn't either.

"Calm down before someone gets hurt." Isoya said sternly.

"Good idea." Hamano said, his attitude returning now that the danger was gone. "After all, we wouldn't want Akio to embarrass himself, would we?"

Akio pulled his arm away, facing away from Isoya.

"Brave words for someone who came real close to getting a black eye." He snapped. Both boys walked away, and I moved closer to talk to Isoya.

"Thanks for stepping in." I said. Isoya shrugged.

"It wasn't a problem." He replied. "The less violence there is, the better."

Our conversation was cut short as Monokuma appeared on the stage.

"Hello citizens of Monocity!" He exclaimed. "It is I! Your wonderful mayor, Monokuma!"

We all glared at him, not wanting to go along with his little game.

"Wow." He said, with much less energy. "Tough crowd, huh?"

Nori crossed her arms.

"You said you had an announcement right?" She asked. "So just say it let us leave." Monokuma seemed to pout. I never thought that I'd see a bear pout.

"You're no fun." He whined. "But I guess if you want me to just rush through things then..."

He took a deep breath.

"IcalledyouallheretodaytotellyouthatimveryboredwithhowthingsaregoingNooneiskillinganyonesoI'mgonnagiveyousomemotivation!"

He was out of breath for a moment, but then was back to his usual cheery self.

"Let me guess, you just spent a few minutes trying to read what that said right?" He asked. Ren fixed his glasses and glared at the self proclaimed mayor.

"Please stop talking nonsense and explain yourself." He said. "Or did you actually expect us to understand that gibberish."

"Gibberish!?" Monokuma exclaimed. "I was just going quickly like you guys asked. I can give you the slow version if you want though."

"Yes please." Sota said. I could tell he was as confused as the rest of us, if not more so.

"Fine." Monokuma said. "You kids need to learn to make up your minds. I _said_ that I called you all here today to tell you that I'm very bored with how things are going. No one is killing anyone, so I'm gonna give you some motivation!"

"Motivation?" I asked.

"Yep!" The bear replied. "Something to get your video game rotted brains working. Are you ready? Cause here it is!" He paused for effect. "Once the blackened has graduated, I will grant them one wish!" He smiled, seeming very proud of himself. "Oh, right. You can't with that everyone can graduate." He added. "And if you immediately thought of that, then you're just a big fat cheater."

"What a stupid motive!" Asami shouted. "You don't have that kind of power."

"Au contraire." Monokuma said. "I have more power than you think! You want to be Prime Minister? I can do that. Want a million dollars? I can do that too! I could even give you a girlfriend or boyfriend if you're that desperate. So, if you want me to grant your wish, then get busy killing!"

After he finished speaking, he left, leaving us all more than confused. Did he really expect any of us to kill for something as unrealistic as that? I looked around at the others, seeing the fear they were feeling reflected in their faces. The sound of the monitor turning on broke the trance we were in.

" _Ahem,_ this is a message from your Mayor. It is now 10pm and night time has officially begun. Please return to your hotel rooms as some areas will now be closed. Thank you. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

The screen flickered off again, and we all left the gym. No one was going to take Monokuma seriously... right?

I tried to reassure myself as I headed back to my room, but I couldn't shake the feeling of doubt. The feeling that something bad was going to happen.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

One, two, three four, five...

I watched the door, waiting for everyone else to arrive.

Six, seven eight, nine, ten...

Almost everyone.

Eleven, twelve, thirteen, and including me that made fourteen. I sighed in relief. I had been one of the first ones in the dining hall that morning, and I had begun to count how many people were there. Thankfully, it seemed like no one had listened to Monokuma. Everyone looked like they were okay, so I decided to find something to do to pass the time.

As I approached the library, I felt my stomach tighten for a moment. Ren had said that the crime scene had been cleared away but... No. I couldn't let the past stop me from doing simple things like this. There were so few things to do already, so I would be going back to the library eventually anyways. Better to get it over with quickly. I pushed open the heavy door and walked inside.

It was like the murder had never even happened. Everything was back to normal, but... it didn't feel normal. It almost felt like the library was trying to make me forget what had happened. Ignoring the feeling, I headed over to one of the bookshelves. A dark red book caught my attention and I took it off the shelf.

"The Angels of the Haunted Grave" I read aloud. "By Toko Fukawa. Shrugging, I flipped to the first page.

" _The freezing wind blew through graveyard, chilling my bones until I felt as if I belonged with the cold_ _corpses_ _beneath my feet. But that was true, was it not? My heart already belonged to them. As I approached the grave, my heart beat faster. I longed for it to stop. It was unfair that as the blood pumped through my veins, his was still as the grave. Still as his grave._

 _I cried out his name. "Anthony! Anthony!" waiting for some kind of a response. Before long, the wind spoke back to me, it's chilled voice sending a shiver down my spine._

" _Eleanor." It whispered. "You returned again."_

" _Of course! I cried out once again. Before the words had even left my mouth, I saw him. Anthony appeared, a white figure, an aspiration, the ghost of my lover,_ _my angel._ _Running over to him, I_ _pulled him into an embrace_ _. His translucent body_ _was_ _pressed against mine and I yearned to feel the warmth of his physical_ _form_ _again. For now, however, his ghost w_ _ould suffice_ _._

" _I missed you." He breathed._ _I felt his cold dead lips next to my ear._

" _Oh Anthony." I sighed. He pulled me closer, and I felt my legs grow weak._

" _Don't speak Eleanor." He pulled away from the embrace. A warmth grew in my chest and cheeks as I stared into his eyes. "Your lips can be used for better things."_

 _Unable to control my urges, I pulled the spectre closer, pressing his lips against mine. My body was growing wild and I no longer cared if the two of us were separated by death's icy hand._

 _I needed him._

 _Lifting up his shirt, I began to-"_

I slammed the book shut. What was a book like that doing here? I quickly placed it back onto the shelf, feeling weird for even reading that far into it. This Toko girl definitely had an... interesting imagination.

"Do people actually read that kind of stuff?" I asked. Obviously, there was no response. Moving far away from that area, I began to browse again. Before long, I saw someone sitting at one of the tables. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was Hamano.

"Hi." I said. Hopefully he was feeling nicer now that he wasn't with Akio.

"Did I say you could talk to me?" He snapped. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"N-No." I stammered, caught off guard by his response. "Sorry. I just thought that..." He cut me off.

"You thought?" He asked. "Don't fry your brain there girly. You must have a few cobwebs up there after all."

My hands began shaking as I felt the urge to slap him, but I tried my best to control myself.

"Why are you always such a jerk?" I asked. He just sighed before turning towards me with a smile. His grin only made me angrier.

"You know? You're kind of cute when you're angry" He said. I definitely wanted to slap him now.

"I can't believe you!" I shouted. "You're so... so..."

"Handsome?"

"Horrible!"

Hamano chuckled as he stood up and walked towards me. With a flick of his wrist, a white rose appeared. He offered it to me, but I moved away. I didn't want anything from that creep. He tilted his head to the side.

"Oh come on! Don't be like that!" He said, moving closer. "I just hate to see a beautiful girl like you so upset." As he moved closer, I backed further away.

"If you don't want me to be upset, then stop being such a jerk!" I snapped. Hamano's smile curled into a scowl.

"And why should I do that?" He asked. "I'm going to be getting out of here. Which means I'm going to have to kill. Why would I be all buddy buddy with my potential victims?"

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. Though I suppose I should have been used to it by then.

"They're not potential victims! They're your friends!" I shouted. Once again, Hamano chuckled.

"Friends?" He asked. "As if I'd be friends with a bunch of idiots like them. They act friendly, but I'm sure they're all just-" He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Well, if _you_ want to be friends," he continued. "I suppose I could make an exception. You're an honest girl, and I could use a new assistant." He reached for my hand, but I pulled it back.

"I'd never be your assistant!" I snapped. "Especially not after what happened to your other ones." Hamano sighed.

"So you know about that, huh? That was their fault, not mine." I felt the urge to slap him again.

"Really? So they verbally abused and sexually harassed themselves?" I remembered seeing the newspaper articles about it. Several of his assistants had left because of how he treated them. Hamano simply raised his hands, shrugging off the statement.

"Is that what they told the press?" he asked, trying to make himself seem like the victim. "Really. Girls can be so dramatic. You can't believe everything you see on the TV you know. The news lies even more than magicians like me." The urge to slap him had morphed into an urge to just strangle him and be done with it. Once again however, I tried to calm myself down.

"Do you not even care about what you did to them?" I asked. Hamano just shrugged again.

"When someone stomps on an ant, the boot doesn't care."

"They weren't ants." I said. "They were human beings! And you know what? I think you're right."

Hamano tilted his head to the side.

"About what?" He asked. I stared into his eyes, desperately hoping he could sense the hatred I was feeling.

"We must not have been friends at Hopes Peak." I explained. "I'd never be friends with a creep like you."

And with that said, I turned away, heading towards the entrance. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, I heard Hamano shout from behind me.

"I gave you a chance, Yui" He shouted. "But I guess you're just as much of an idiot as everyone else here. You better watch your back!"

I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. I wanted nothing more than to get away from that wretch of a person. Despite wanting to go back and slap Hamano, I headed towards the dining hall.

As I opened the dining hall door, I saw that Sota and Koharu were already inside. They nodded in greeting and began waving me over, but stopped as they noticed my expression.

"Is everything okay Yui?" Sota asked. I walked over and sat down next to them before shaking my head.

"Hamano is such a jerk." I replied. Sota shrugged.

"Just ignore him then." He said. "He's not worth getting worked up over."

"Yeah!" Koharu added. "If someone's bothering you, all you have to do is ignore them!" She stopped for a moment, as if she were listening to someone. No doubt she was listening to one of her friends. "Erza says she does it all the time." She finished.

I smiled, happy to know that there were at least a few decent people in this city. Before I could reply to what they had said however, the dining hall door opened up. Bessihiki walked inside, heading over to the three of us.

"I was just going to grab a bite to eat." He explained before moving towards the kitchen. He hesitated as he reached the entrance.

"Have any of you seen Akio?" He asked. We shook our heads. I hadn't seen him since breakfast. In response to our answer, Bessihiki shrugged. He turned to the kitchen again, but the action was cut short by a loud noise.

 _BOOM_

The building shook from the force and volume of the sound. I grabbed the table, worried that I might fall over. After a quick moment, the shaking stopped.

"What the heck was that!?" Sota exclaimed. Bessihiki pointed to the door.

"It sounded like it came from outside." He said. We quickly ran outside, eager to find the source of the noise. Once we were out there, I noticed a strange smell in the air. It smelt like something, burning?

"Hey!" Someone shouted. The voice belonged to Saruwatari. He ran over to us. "You guys heard that too?" He asked, obviously rhetorically. "I think it came from the second area."

Nodding, we followed him to the train station. As we waited for the train, more and more people arrived.

"What's taking so long?" Nori asked. I wanted to tell her to be patient, but I realized she was right. The train should have arrived already.

"Maybe the trains aren't working?" Missa said quietly. Sota leaned over the track, looking into the tunnel.

"I could try walking through the tunnel." He suggested. Ren sighed and shook his head.

"And what will you do if the train comes?" He asked. "Do you want to get flattened to death?" Sota was unfazed by the question.

"Well," he replied. "I could always just press myself up against the wall, or I could lay down on the ground."

As the two of them continued to argue, I noticed Saruwatari hop down onto the tracks. Before I could stop him he began running through the tunnel. As Sota realized what he was doing, he followed the vet, disappearing into the tunnel as well.

We all stared in disbelief, wondering how they could be brave, or stupid enough to do that.

"Hamano and Akio are missing." Isoya said, breaking us from our thoughts. I looked around at everyone there. Isoya was right.

"You don't think that they..." My voice trailed off as I considered the worst case scenario. After a moment, Asami jumped down onto the tracks before running into the tunnel. There was no doubt in my mind that she had come to the same conclusion as me.

Her action had set off a chain reaction and almost everyone followed behind her. Soon, only Nori, Missa, Isoya, Ren and I were left on the train platform. I walked over to the edge of the tracks before turning to the others.

"Are you guys coming?" I asked. Ren fixed his glasses before nodding.

"Of course." He said. "I just can't run there. I'll have to catch up." And with that, he hopped onto the tracks, jogging into the tunnel. It would have caused more problems if he had tried to run and got an asthma attack. I turned to Missa, waiting for her answer.

"I'm..." She said. "I'm not the biggest fan of dark places." Isoya placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll walk with you Miss Missa." He said. Nori tossed her hair.

"There's no way I'd go down there." She said. "It smells horrible."

There was a hint of fear in her voice, and I wondered if she was more afraid of what might be at the end of the tunnel. With Missa and Isoya close behind, I jumped down and began running after the others. As I got close to the entrance, I noticed Sota emerge from the darkness.

"Guys! Come quickly!" He shouted. "There's been an accident!"


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I don't know how long Sota and I ran through the tunnel. The tunnel itself was short, but the fear I was feeling made it seem like an eternity. We must have passed Ren at one point, but it was too dark for me to see so I didn't know for sure. When I could finally see the light, the smell of smoke filled my nose. It was the same smell as earlier. The end of the tunnel slowly grew closer and closer until we had finally reached it. I had had my suspicions of what we might have found at the end, but despite that I still wasn't prepared.

On the tracks was what was left of the train. The debris from the crash was scattered around, and some pieces were still on fire. Luckily, those ones were further away, so I was able to join the others near the largest piece of debris.

"What happened?!" I asked. Bessihiki, his face pale and tinted green, pointed at the wreckage.

"We found Hamano." He said. "Or at least what's left of him."

I looked over to where Bessihiki was pointing. There in the wreckage was a body. If it hadn't been for the tattered cape, I wouldn't have known that it was Hamano. The body was covered in blood, and was sprawled across a piece of debris. His hat was nowhere to be found and his hair had already been dyed black with smoke and ash. Part of the limbs almost seemed to be... torn. Feeling sick and lightheaded, I felt myself falling back. However, luckily someone caught me before I hit the ground. Looking up, I saw Saruwatari.

"T-Thank you..." I said, barely able to speak. He helped me stand up straight again and I made sure to look away from the wreckage. It had to be some kind of trick. As much as I hated Hamano, I didn't want him to be dead. I didn't want him to end up like, that.

"He can't be dead!" I said. "There wasn't a body discovery announcement." I felt Saruwatari place his hand on my shoulder, keeping it there for both physical and mental support.

"It was announced while you were in the tunnel." He explained. "You must not have heard because there's no monitor in there."

Looking around, I saw that Akio was still missing. I had hoped that he would be in the second area.

"What about Akio?" I asked. "Was he on the train too?" Mayu shook her head. I could see that her hands were shaking.

"We looked, but we couldn't find him." She said. "All we could find was... that."

She pointed towards Hamano, but I decided to not look. Isoya, Missa and Ren finally arrived and they headed over. Isoya must have seen the body before the others, because he led Missa to a place where it wasn't visible. He must have explained why he had done it though, because I saw Missa's face go from confusion to shock when he began speaking to her. Ren on the other hand, headed towards us.

"So the explosion was a train crash?" He asked. Saruwatari nodded. I saw Ren notice the body. He seemed to be queasy for a moment before he closed his eyes. He must have been thinking of Kinji.

"You don't need to stay Ren." Mayu said, but Ren shook his head.

"I'm fine." He said.

"You don't look that way! Puhuhu!"

We all turned to see Monokuma who had emerged from somewhere while we had been distracted. He started to move his arms as if he was running.

"You're thinking about your bro, aren't ya?" He teased. Ren glared at the bear and I could see that he wanted to say something in response, but instead he just turned away. Monokuma shrugged.

"Well, I'm just here to give you..." He paused for effect. "The Monokuma File! Tadaa!"

He pressed some buttons on a device and we all heard a sound come from our E-Handbooks. Monokuma put his device away and sighed.

"It's a shame that I give it to you brats electronically." He complained. "It's so much more fun to give you a hard copy. But I guess that's the price to pay for efficiency!"

"But..." Missa said quietly. "this was an accident. Not a murder."

"Nope! You're wrong!" Monokuma said loudly, causing Missa to jump.

"What!?" Sota exclaimed. "You mean someone caused this?" He pointed at the wreckage and Monokuma nodded.

"Yep!" He replied. "This is undeniably, most definitely, without question, a murder, and after a certain amount of time has passed, a class trial will be held. Use your time as you see fit. See ya!"

Then he left, leaving us all confused, like usual. So this unfortunate disaster had been a murder? Someone had caused the crash? It all seemed very hard to believe. It was a very, abnormal situation.

But I was getting used to situations like that.

"Maybe we should start investigating" Mayu said. We all nodded. After all, we'd be useless in the class trial if we had nothing to work with. I pulled out my E-Handbook and opened the Monokuma file.

"Victim, Hamano Hatsuhara. Cause of death, trauma to head and body caused by a train crash. Time of death, 9:32am. He died instantly.

At least he died instantly. It would have been horrible to be alive while in that kind of condition. Not wanting to be near the body for now, I walked over to Sota.

"Hey Yui." He said. "You doing alright?" I nodded.

"Do you know anything else about all this?" I asked. "You were one of the first ones here after all."

Sota thought for a moment.

"Well, I was with you, Koharu and Bessihiki in the dining hall when we heard that loud noise. That was around 9:30. Then we went to the train station and I ran through the tunnel..." His voice trailed off. I waited a bit for him to continue, but he was silent.

"What happened next?" I asked. I had already known all the stuff he had just told me. Sota blushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I kinda forgot." He said. I guess he wouldn't be much help then. After thanking him, I decided to check out the train control room. If someone caused the crash, then they'd have to do it from there.

As I approached the small building, I noticed that the door was open. Strange, wasn't it supposed to be closed at all times? Walking inside, I saw that there were a lot of computers. They were all flashing with information and images and I had no idea what to make of it. I noticed that Bessihiki was already inside. He quickly turned around when he heard me walk in.

"Oh, it's just you Yui." he said before looking at the computers again. "Sorry. I'm a bit on edge knowing that there's a killer walking around." I walked over, trying to see what he was doing.

"Are you wondering what I'm doing?" He asked. Had he read my mind or something? He was also acting nicer than usual. Perhaps he was in shock from the murder. Before I could answer his question, Bessihiki explained anyways.

"At first I was seeing if these computers could connect to the outside, but it seems like they can't" He said. "So now I'm checking if they were tampered with."

"Were they?" I asked.

"I don't think so." He replied. "The train controls are automatic and it seems like everything's normal." I guess that meant that the crash was caused some other way. Nodding I began to leave. The room was small enough that you could scan it easily and it looked like there weren't any other clues. As I was about to step out the door, Bessihiki started talking over his shoulder.

"By the way," he said. "If you're wondering why the door was open, Monokuma opened it. He said it was to help with the investigation."

Then he turned back to the computers and continued typing away. It figured it was probably best to just leave him to it. Rather than standing around there, being useless, I headed back to the wreck. As I got closer, I noticed Missa. She seemed like she could faint at any moment.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yeah." She replied. "It's just... frightening. I saw him in the library before and now... now he's dead."

I could tell she was really shaken up by the situation.

"It's going to be fine." I said, trying my hardest to reassure her. "Right now we need to focus on the investigation though. Do you know anything that could help." Missa shook her head.

"I was with Isoya in the library when it happened. I know I heard a loud noise, but that's it." I nodded. Sota, Koharu, Bessihiki and I had heard the noise too.

"Hey Missa?" I asked. There was something I had been meaning to ask her, and perhaps it would help distract her.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Why are you always with Isoya? If you don't mind me asking." The two of us looked over to Isoya, who was currently investigating the body. Asami and Sota were watching him closely, making sure he didn't take anything. It was weird that he was so comfortable around bodies.

"He makes me feel safe." Missa answered. I saw her smiling. It seemed like she only smiled when thinking about him. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but smile in return. Before we could continue talking though, I heard someone clear their throat behind me. Turning around, I saw Bessihiki. I guess that meant he was finished in the train control room.

"I found something." He said bluntly. He pointed towards the train tracks and motioned for us to follow. He could have been a bit more polite like he had been before, but it seemed like he was back to his antisocial self.

After a bit, the three of us reached the railroad junction. Bessihiki stopped and nodded his head towards it. I moved closer to investigate.

"The screws are missing." Bessihiki explained. "And I'm pretty sure someone moved it." Looking closer, I realized he was right. The screws that usually held the tracks in place were nowhere to be found. There were also scuff marks on the ground from someone physically moving the tracks. Was this what caused the crash?

"Um... sorry to interrupt." Missa said softly. "But I just noticed that Akio is still missing."

Now that she mentioned it, I hadn't seen Akio since that morning. Not even when we were all at the train station. Had something happened to him as well?

"I'll go check on him." I said, standing up and brushing the dirt off of my pants. "He might be in his room." Bessihiki and Missa nodded and I headed towards the tunnel. It felt oddly peaceful running through it alone. At the same time however, I could help but worry that a train would suddenly appear around the bend. Eventually I reached the end and I made my way to the hotel.

 _Knock Knock Knock_

I hoped that he would open the door. I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow two people had been killed. Would that be against the rules? Knowing Monokuma, probably not. Looking around I noticed Akio's garbage bag. Normally I wouldn't have paid attention to something like that, but his seemed to be torn open. He must have just filled it too much. As I thought that I felt a light hit my eye.

"Huh?"

Where had that come from? The answer was sitting in Akio's garbage bag. Right there, in the open thanks to the tear, were several screws. Did that mean...?

"You want something?"

I turned quickly towards the voice. Akio was standing in the door frame. He looked like he had just woken up.

"I, um..." I couldn't find the words. All I could think about were the screws. If Akio had them did that mean he was the one who caused the crash? Before either of us could continue the conversation, the sound of static filled the air.

"Ahem." Monokuma began, his voice emanating from the speakers. "I'm getting kind of bored, so let's get this thing started. Head to the red door, just like last time."

"Huh?" Akio asked. "What does he mean the red door? Did something happen?"

Was he playing dumb? He couldn't possibly not know that something had happened. This had to be some sort of act.

"Didn't you hear the body discovery announcement?" I asked. I might have missed it, but Akio couldn't have. The only place you couldn't was in the train tunnel and he wasn't there during the announcement. Instead of answering, Akio just stared at me, eyes and mouth opened wide.

"Body... discovery announcement?" He asked. "You mean someone died while I was asleep!? Who was it?"

"Hamano." I said. Akio seemed to get angry when I mentioned the name. He clenched his fist.

"He had it coming." He said. "I should go check on him though."

And with that said, he ran off. Did he really expect to get any investigating done? We needed to head to the red door. I felt sick as I followed Monokuma's instructions. Akio had a motive, no alibi, and the screws were right there. Could he really be Hamano's killer.

He was already in the elevator when I arrived. He hadn't gone to the body then. I walked through the red door and we all waited for everyone to arrive. Once they had, the elevator roared to life.

It had happened again. As the elevator clanged loudly, and we descended deeper and deeper, I felt hopeless. Did the same horrors await us at the bottom? Would we have to witness another friend die?

I knew that if we failed this trial, we would never go up this elevator again.

Was the killer really one of us? Had Akio really caused the crash? I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I knew it could be true. And the only way we were going to avoid sharing Hamano's fate, was if we found the culprit. As I thought about this, the elevator came to a halt, and the trial, a battle between hope and despair, began.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Once again, we all took our places in the underground trial room. This time, three of the seats were empty. Koizumi, Kinji and Hamano. Monokuma sat on his throne watching us all, seeming to enjoy the despairing atmosphere that had filled the room.

"Well then!" He exclaimed. "Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial. The result of the trial is determined by your own votes. If the correct culprit is chosen, then only they will receive punishment. But if you choose the wrong one, I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they alone will get to leave!"

Akio raised his hand, giving me a strange sense of deja-vu.

"Um... I don't even know what's going on." He said. Monokuma tilted his head to the side.

"But I just explained." He said. "Do you got stuffing in your brain or something?" Akio shook his head.

"No." He said defensively. "I was just asleep, so I didn't have time to investigate." I still didn't know if he was playing dumb or not, but I decided to explain anyways.

"Today, Hamano was killed when two of the trains collided." I explained.

Akio nodded. He still seemed somewhat confused, but he didn't seem like he was going to ask again. With that aside, it was time to begin.

"So what should we discuss?" Michiyo asked, as emotionless as always. Koharu tilted her head to the side.

"Last time we discussed the murder weapon." She said. I saw Nori rolled her eyes.

"The murder weapon is obvious though." She said. "It was the train, technically."

"In that case," Ren said. "We need to figure out what caused the crash." Missa nervously raised her hand.

"Um... I think I know." She said. Everyone turned to face her. That seemed to make her nervous.

"I um..." She looked towards the floor. I needed to help her out.

"Are you talking about the railroad junction?" I asked her. She nodded, it seemed like my comment had helped her gain back her confidence.

"Yes. The screws were taken out and it looked like someone had moved the tracks."

A buzz of conversation filled the courtroom. I guess that the only people who knew about the railroad junction were Missa, Bessihiki and I.

"But how did they take out the screws?" Mayu asked.

"Maybe they used their hands?" Sota suggested. The thought was immediately shot down by Michiyo's monotonous voice.

"They didn't use their hands." She said bluntly. "It's obvious that they used a wrench." Bessihiki shook his head.

"But we didn't find any wrenches near the tracks." He said. That was right. Not even the screws were left behind, which meant that...

"That must mean the killer still has it." I said. Once the words had left my mouth, everyone looked around. It was still hard to believe that someone here was the killer. I didn't want my hunch to be true, but based on the facts, the main suspect was-

"Isn't that a wrench sticking out of your pocket Akio?" Bessihiki asked, before I could even take a breath to speak. All eyes turned to Akio, who simply nodded.

"Yeah." He answered simply. The reply was followed by a long silence.

"Akio?" Mayu said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" The carpenter replied, apparently completely oblivious. Ren sighed.

"We just finished discussing the fact that the killer has a wrench on them." He explained. Once again, there was a long silence. Akio looked around in confusion before suddenly becoming panicked.

"This isn't the killers wrench!" He exclaimed. "I just found it when I woke up earlier."

"You... found it?" Asami asked. Akio nodded.

"Yeah!" He said. "I found it on the floor of my room when I woke up earlier." Ren shook his head.

"Wouldn't that be convenient." He said. Akio glared at him.

"You're one to talk." He said. "I swear it's the truth!" Nori, who was apparently more interested in the dirt under her nails than the trial, shook her head.

"Or you're just lying." She accused. Koharu tilted her head to the side, rubbing her chin.

"I don't know if just having a wrench makes him guilty." She said. "He _is_ the Ultimate carpenter right?"

"I guess it does make sense that the Ultimate Carpenter would have a wrench." Sota added.

"I'd like to believe that Akio is innocent." I said. "But I can't." Akio turned his glare to me.

"Why not?" He asked. I sighed. I didn't want to have to be the one to accuse one of our friends, but I had no choice.

"While investigating, I went to your room." I answered. "You were still asleep at the time."

"See! I told you I was asleep!" Akio interrupted. Nori turned to Akio, finally finished cleaning her nails.

"You could have just gone to your room after you messed with the tracks to give yourself an alibi." She said. Michiyo, sighed.

"Shut up and let Yui finish." She snapped.

"Uh... thanks." I said before continuing my explanation. "Well, outside of your room was a ripped garbage bag, and I saw the screws from the train tracks inside of it." Akio's glare was replaced with a look of shock.

"Wait what!?" He exclaimed. A buzz of conversation filled the room.

"So that means Akio is the killer?" Asami asked. Akio quickly shook his head.

"I'm not!" He said frantically. "I swear I'm not! I've never killed anyone my whole life!"

"Stop lying!" Nori spat. As the atmosphere intensified, I felt my stomach tighten. Something wasn't right about this. What was it? Did I just not want to believe Akio was the killer? or-

"Yui."

The voice belonged to Ren. He saw that I had heard him and nodded.

"I believe you and I are thinking the same thing." He said. "Something doesn't seem right about this."

I nodded. So it wasn't just me then. Sota looked at both of us.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked. As he finished speaking, I finally realized what was wrong.

"If Akio took the screws from the train tracks," I began. "Then how did he get back afterwards?" Sota shrugged.

"He took the train." He said. Asami's head snapped up.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "If he had taken the train, then it would have been derailed with him on it."

"Exactly." I replied. Bessihiki shrugged.

"What if he just walked through the tunnel like we did?" He asked. Nori scoffed.

"I don't think even _he_ , is that stupid." She said. Sota still seemed confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"If he walked there," I said. "Then he'd risk getting hit by the train, since they were still working then." Akio grasped onto this contradiction like his life depended on it. Technically, all of ours did.

"See!" He shouted. "It wasn't me!" Mayu raised her hand.

"But wait." She said. "If the killer didn't take the train, and he didn't walk through the tunnel, then how did they get back?"

"Maybe they didn't" Michiyo suggested. "If that's the case, then whoever was in the second area would be the killer." Ren fixed his glassed as he shook his head.

"Then are you saying that the killer was Hamano?" He asked. Michiyo raised her eyebrow, asking for an explanation.

"The only person who was in the second area during the crash, was Hamano." Ren explained. "Everyone else was there when we walked over."

"Excluding Akio, who was asleep in his room." Isoya added. Sota groaned, holding his head as he placed his elbows on the podium.

"Then this makes no sense!" He shouted. "Did the killer teleport or something?"

Obviously, that wasn't the case. If the killer had been able to teleport, then they would have used that to get out of here but, why was I even trying to justify why that was wrong?

"I don't think it's that." I said. "But I think I might have figured this out."

"Then spit it out." Nori demanded. I didn't really appreciate being bossed around, but I answered anyways.

"What if the killer removed the screws after the crash?" I asked. Akio's brow furrowed as he thought about that.

"But then, wouldn't the crash not have happened?" He asked. Ren shook his head.

"Now that she mentions it," he said thoughtfully. "The trains are remote controlled right? What if someone messed with the controls." Once again, a buzz of conversation filled the room.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "This whole time, we thought that the stolen screws had caused the crash, but I think we just fell for the killer's trick."

"But if that's the case," Bessihiki said, gesturing to everyone. "Then the killer could have been any one of us."

"Yeah. That's the problem." Michiyo replied.

"And another problem is how the killer got into the train control room." I added. Mayu frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, the door is locked," I explained. "So the killer shouldn't have been able to get in."

"What if they used a key?" Missa suggested quietly. Nori tossed her hair, almost hitting the pianist in the face.

"And where would they have gotten a key? You idiot." She asked. Missa flinched. I saw Isoya's muscles tense for a moment.

"From Monokuma." He said. His body relaxing again. Nori turned her gaze from Missa to him.

"What do you mean, from Monokuma?" She asked.

"I meant what I said." Isoya replied bluntly. He turned towards Monokuma. "Monokuma. Did you lend out the train control room key?"

Monokuma thought for a moment. "Yep!" He said suddenly. "When they said that it was to commit a murder, I handed it right over." He gasped, covering his mouth with his paws. "Whoops, did I say that out loud?"

"I guess it's too hopeful to expect you to tell us who you gave it to." Mayu said. Monokuma nodded.

"I figured as much." Mayu said, slouching her shoulders.

"So I guess that proves that the train control room was used to change the tracks." I said.

"But how did they do it?" Michiyo asked. Akio tilted his head to the side. He seemed relieved that he wasn't under suspicion anymore.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Michiyo frowned.

"If the killer was controlling the trains from the control room, wouldn't they have to be in there when the crash happened?" She asked. Mayu groaned in frustration.

"In that case, we're back to square one, since everyone was in the first area during the crash."

She was right. Everyone except Hamano had been in the first area, but...

"That's not necessarily the case." I said.

"What?" Akio said. "But I thought we already figured out that everyone was in the first area." I nodded.

"Well, that part's true." I replied. "But we aren't back to square one." I felt my throat grow dry as I realized what the killer had to have done. Could they really be the killer? Bessihiki sighed as he tapped the podium with his fingers.

"Stop beating around the bush and just spit it out." He snapped. I didn't appreciate the attitude.

"I'm not sure how the killer got back to the main area," I said. "But I do know how to narrow down the amount of suspects. The computers that control the trains are locked with an extremely complicated password. If the killer used the control room to cause the crash, then they would need a very specific skill." Nori sighed.

"Bessihiki just said to stop beating around the bush. Spit it out!" She snapped.

"I'm getting to it." I replied. "The killer would have needed to hack into the control room computers, and the only person here who can do that, is Bessihiki."

"Wait, what!?" Bessihiki said. The tapping stopped. "What do you mean? I'm the killer just because I can hack a computer?" Missa nodded.

"That does kind of seem presumptuous." She said. Bessihiki nodded.

"And, I have an alibi!" He said. He was sounding panicked. Or perhaps angry. "You saw me yourself Yui!" This time Koharu nodded.

"That's true." She said. "You were in the dining hall with us when the explosion happened." Saruwatari shrugged.

"What if he used a timer?" He asked. Asami nodded, clapping her hands together.

"Oh yeah!" She said. "They had timers at the electronics store, right?"

"Yeah. You're right." I said.

"I see." Ren said. "If Bessihiki used a timer, he would have been able to make it back before the crash, and would create an alibi as well."

"Exactly." I replied. "And the reason I didn't find the timer when I investigated is because Bessihiki got there first and grabbed it before I could see it."

Bessihiki was sweating. The tapping had begun again, more frantic than it had ever been before. It seemed like our assumptions were right. The tapping stopped again as Bessihiki clenched his fist.

"You don't have any proof!" He said. I shook my head.

"Actually, we do."

"What?" Bessihiki's eyes were wide in horror, but he quickly gained his composure, trying not to show his guilt. Reluctantly, I shared my proof.

"There'd be no safe place to hide the timer." I said. "So I'm guessing you still have it on you." Ren pointed at the hacker.

"In other words." He said. "Empty your pockets." Bessihiki placed his hands in his hoodie pockets as he shook his head.

"That's an invasion of privacy!" He exclaimed.

"If you don't have anything to hide," Akio said. "Then you shouldn't be worried."

Bessihiki sighed, knowing that he couldn't argue anymore. Reluctantly, he took his hands out of his pockets, holding out the contents for us to see. In one hand was a key with a Monokuma symbol. In the other, was a timer.

"I'm won't make up any excuses." Besshiki said quietly. He no longer sounded panicked; Just... sad. "I'll admit that I lost."

"Can you explain what happened from the start?" Saruwatari asked. Besshiki didn't reply. He had placed the items on the podium, and was now holding his head instead.

"I think I have it pretty much figured out if you want me to say it." I offered.

"Knock yourself out." Bessihiki replied, his voice muffled.

"Alright." I said. "First you found the timer in the electronics store. You went to the train control room used the key you got from Monokuma to unlock the door. You hacked into the computer and set up the program to switch the train tracks at 9:30 using the timer. After that, you locked the door and rode the train back to the first area. A bit later, Hamano got on the train."

"Hey Bessihiki," Asami interrupted. "How did you know Hamano would get on the train?" Bessihiki sighed and raised his head. His eyes were still turned towards the floor.

"Because I told him to." He explained. "I just had to say that Monokuma called everyone to the second area."

"And why did you choose Hamano?" Michiyo asked. Bessihiki seemed to be regaining his composure, and he turned his gaze towards the baker.

"He was the first person I ran into." He said. "Honestly, it could have been any one of you on that train. If I succeeded, then you would all be dead anyways, so I wasn't picky."

That made me feel uncomfortable.

"Well, after you told Hamano to go to the second area," I continued. "You headed to the dining hall. This is how you created an alibi. While you were there, the trains crashed, and you went over to investigate with the rest of us. But while we were investigating the murder, you were covering your tracks. Literally. You went down the tracks and removed the bolts from the rail junction. Putting those in your pocket, you added to the illusion by grabbing the timer from the control room. You said Monokuma opened it for you, but you must have used the key and opened it yourself. You then brought the bolts to Akio's room and placed them in his garbage bag, ripping it open to make sure we'd notice them. After, you slid the wrench under Akio's door, then you went back to the crash site and told us about the missing bolts. Unfortunately, you didn't have time to hide the timer in your room before Monokuma called us here, so you had to keep it in your pocket."

"Yep. That about sums it up." Bessihiki said. He was completely calm now. It was a bit... unnerving. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought that.

"How can you be so calm!?" Mayu asked. "You're going to be executed Bessihiki!" Bessihiki simply shrugged.

"I'm not sure." he said. "I guess this all just doesn't seem real to me. I feel like I'm stuck in some sort of nightmarish reality, and any moment now I'll wake up." Nori scoffed.

"You're not going to wake up." She said. "In fact, you're going to be sleeping for a long time." Ignoring Nori's comment, Koharu tilted her head to the side.

"But why did you do it Bessihiki?" She asked. "Was it Monokuma's motive?" The hacker nodded.

"Yep. I wanted Monokuma's wish." When Bessihiki said this, Saruwatari frowned.

"What wish was worth your friend's lives?" he asked.

"I was going to wish for my father to get out of prison."

"Your father?" Mayu asked. Bessiki nodded.

"Yes." He said. "My father, Houka Madarai."

"What did he do?" I asked. "Why was he in jail?" When I asked this, Bessihiki became angry.

"He didn't _do_ anything." He snapped. "He was framed." Ren nodded several times.

"Yes, I seem to recall hearing about this on the news." He said. "Your father, the accountant for the Togami corporation, supposedly stole from the Togami family." Bessihiki slammed his fist on the podium, causing the timer to fall to the floor.

"That's wrong!" He shouted, before gaining his composure again. "He was framed. The real culprit was a hacker who hacked into the Togami's bank account. He stole the money and got away Scot-free. The Togami's said that it was impossible to hack into their systems, and blamed my dad. He was sent to jail and I couldn't talk to him, or even see him."

"So you wanted to get him out?" I asked. Once again, Bessihiki nodded.

"That's the only thing I've wanted since the first day he was put in there." He replied. "That's why I became a hacker in the first place. I needed to prove that it was possible to hack into the Togami's bank account. But they upgraded their defence and I was never able to do it." Saruwatri rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"So you thought that this wish was your last chance."

"Pretty much."

"I still don't understand how you're so calm about this." Mayu said. Bessihiki chuckled.

"Guess I'm just not good with emotions." He said. "It's a lot easier to hide behind a keyboard."

As Bessihiki finished speaking, Monokuma jumped off of his throne.

"Well, in that case, it's Punishment time!" He said cheerfully. "I've prepared a very special punishment for Bessihiki Madarai, the Ultimate Hacker."

I'm not sure if he was speaking to us, or himself, but I heard Besshiki mumble something under his breath.

"I guess I can't hide anymore."

Just like with the first trial, the wall opened up, revealing a long corridor. A chain flew out of the opening, wrapping around Bessihiki's neck. His hands flew up as he grabbed the cold metal, trying to ease the pressure. The chain pulled back, dragging him into the corridor. He was silent as the door slammed shut behind him. We all turned to the screen as it flickered to life. Bessihiki was now strapped to a chair by the chain, in front of him was a computer attached to a large bomb. The computer screen turned on, and Bessihiki frantically began typing. Sweat was dripping down his brow as his fingers moved at lighting speed. As the timer approached zero, his hands stopped. The timer froze at one second. Relaxing, Bessihiki pulled back his hands. However, Monokuma suddenly appeared wielding a large pair of scissors. He cut a wire attached to the bomb, causing it to explode. The screen went black as the camera was caught in the explosion. Bessihiki was gone.

We stared at the screen in silence, the sound of the explosion echoing in our minds. Bessihiki had described the feeling perfectly. It felt like this wasn't real. Like any moment now we'd wake up from this nightmarish reality. But I knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Well, there's nothing we can do." Saruwatari said, breaking the silence. "Let's go back to the hotel for now."

We all returned to our rooms in a daze. As I laid in bed, I found myself wondering how many more people were going to die before the person behind all of this was happy. What would it take to please the mastermind? Or did they just want despair? Did they just want us to suffer?


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I didn't sleep. The sound of the explosion ringing in my ears, and my heart beating faster and faster made sure of that. In the morning I headed to the cafeteria. It was even emptier now. How many more of us were we going to lose?

None.

I kept telling myself that over and over again, desperately hoping that it would be true.

The dining hall was silent. There wasn't even the sound of cutlery being used. No one was eating, but... how could anyone still have an appetite anyways after seeing... that. The silence was broken by the sound of a chair being moved. We all turned to the source of the sound. Ren had pushed back his chair to stand, and was now facing us. He looked like he hadn't slept well either.

"Well. I understand that everyone is still in mourning." He said. "But I think our time would be best spent investigating the next area." Mayu nodded.

"Y-yeah..." She stammered. "Sitting here moping isn't going to help us.

She stood up and headed out the door. The others, realizing that Ren and Mayu were right, followed behind her. Soon it was only Nori, Isoya, Missa and I left. Nori shrugged.

"I guess I might as well go." She said nonchalantly. "But just because I have nothing better to do."

I moved out of her way and with a toss of her hair, she walked out the door. Once she was gone, I headed over to Missa and Isoya.

"Are you feeling sick again?" I asked. She nodded slowly.

"A bit." She replied. "But I think I'm going to help investigate this time. I haven't helped you guys at all! And I think it's about time I start trying." With that said, her and Isoya left the room. I followed behind them, making sure not to invade their personal space.

"So who's missing this time?"

It was Mayu who had asked the question. She looked around the train car, counting the people there. I had to admit that I was feeling pretty nervous being on the train. The crash had been cleaned up, along with Hamano's body, but it was still unnerving.

"Actually, everyone's here." Saruwatari answered. "I guess it just seems like less because... well..."

His sentence trailed off. Nobody wanted to talk about what had happened. Mayu shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "But if everyone's here, lets split up into groups of 3 and look around."

The train came to a stop and the doors opened up. We all stepped outside to see what the new area was like. 

Unlike the other two areas, this one was open and green. It seemed like it was a giant park. There were some buildings near the train track, but I couldn't see what was inside due to the lack of windows. The air was fresh and there was a faint smell of chlorine. As we took this all in, Mayu took out her E-Handbook and started assigning areas for us to investigate. I was partnered with Isoya and Missa, and we were sent to the gazebo.

It was a beautiful, if somewhat small, gazebo. The pillars and roof were painted white, and the floor was dark and wooden. The railing had beautiful flower carvings on it.

"So..." I said, trying to break the silence that had been with us since we had left the train station. "Are we going to investigate the inside too?"

There wasn't really a need to. It was only about a meter and a half wide. I didn't even know if it would count as a gazebo, being so small. Missa shook her head.

"I'm... not the biggest fan of small places" She said.

Oh yeah. She had mentioned that before right?

"Is there a specific reason?" I asked. "Or do you just not like them?" Missa lowered her head, turning her gaze towards the ground.

"Well. When I was little, I got kidnapped." She said.

"What!?" I exclaimed. This was news to me. I had no idea she had gone through something like that. She nodded.

"It happened when I was walking home from my piano lessons." She explained. "Some men grabbed me and held me captive at an old house. They kept me locked up in a closet."

So that's where the claustrophobia came from. That would be enough to traumatize anyone.

"I was young, but not naive." She continued. I could see her hands shaking. "I spent the whole time worrying that they would try to do... indecent things." She clenched her fist to stop the shaking. "They wanted my parents to pay a ransom, and after two days of talking to the police and trying to figure out what to do, my parents paid."

I felt my own hands shaking now. Two days locked in a closet, worried the whole time about... I closed my eyes. No one should have to go through something like that. Missa relaxed, and the shaking stopped. Instead, she rubbed her arm nervously.

"Afterwards, I became extremely paranoid and claustrophobic." She said. "People tried to talk to me, but I couldn't get myself to trust them." Tears were forming in her eyes. "I didn't want to be alone, but... I felt safer that way."

"Missa..." I said. "I'm sorry for bringing that up." I hadn't meant to make her cry. I felt horrible but, probably not even close to how horrible she must have been feeling. Isoya placed his hand on her shoulder. She almost immediately seemed calmer. He had managed to comfort her without even saying a word.

"Sorry." Missa said. "I guess I've made everyone sad now." I shook my head. Now that Isoya had moved closer though, I noticed that he had a book in his hand.

"What's that?" I asked. Missa and Isoya looked at me, seeming confused. I pointed at the book. At least I had managed to change the subject. Isoya took his hand off Missa's shoulder and held up the book.

"This?" He asked. "It's Miss Missa's music book."

"He's holding onto it for me until I find a place for it." Missa explained before taking out her E-handbook. "It's time for us to meet the others." She said. The three of us headed to the train station. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Missa though, knowing what she had gone though. I was happy that she had Isoya to keep her safe now.

Back in the dining hall, the groups had all gathered. Koharu, Ren and Mayu had found a pool with change rooms. Apparently Monokuma told them that if a boy or girl tried to go into the opposite gender's change room, then they'd get shot my a machine gun there. Kind of a harsh punishment. Asami, Nori and Michiyo found some basketball courts, which made Asami very happy. Akio, Sota and Saruwatari investigated the large lake in the area. The water was incredibly cold though, so swimming in it was out of the question.

"I guess that means that there's still no way out." Mayu said once everyone had shared. I hated to admit it, but she was right. It seemed like we weren't going to get out any time soon.

"Oh! By the way!" Mayu said as everyone was starting to leave. "Ren found this in the boy's change room."

She handed me a photograph. It was just like the others. This one had a girl on it. She had short, light brown hair, similar to Bessihiki's, and was wearing a green dress. She even had a cute green bow tied around her white collar. But what was it doing in the boy's change room?

"How many is that now?" Ren asked.

"Um... I think this is the 5th." I replied. I put it in my pocket. We still had absolutely nothing to go off of. Not even the rooms that we found the photos in were connected in any way. This was just a mystery that we'd have to wait to solve. Perhaps it would end up being related to the mystery of the city itself, and the lack of people.

Now that Mayu had given me the photo, we decided to go our separate ways. I hadn't noticed it before, but it was getting really hot out. That was obvious once I had left the dining hall. A wall of warm, humid air had slapped me in the face when I opened the door. Had it been like this earlier? Perhaps a nice swim in the pool would help cool me down. Looking forward to splashing around in the water, I started heading towards the gym.

"Hey, Yui!"

The voice belonged to Koharu. Her, Isoya and Missa were all standing in the shade of the hotel. They looked about as hot as I felt. I walked over.

"Hey guys." I said while waving. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to cool down." Missa said. "This heat came out of nowhere."

"Well, I'm heading to the pool." I said. "You guys can join me if you want." I noticed Ren heading towards the hotel. "You too Ren!" He shook his head.

"Sorry, but I have to decline." He said. "I'm just going to relax in my room for a while."

"Suit yourself."

The rest of us headed towards the pool together. Koharu, Missa and I changed in the girl's change room. It was pretty simple looking. There was some exercise equipment, a shagged carpet and a poster of a popular boy band that I didn't know. There was also a closet, some lockers and a laundry hamper for wet clothing and towels. That was about it. We took some of the bathing suits neatly folded in the closet and made our way to the pool area. Much to our surprise, Sota and Mayu were already there.

"Hey guys!" Sota said waving. "Come on in! The water's great!" I waved back before moving to the edge of the pool. I dipped my foot in the water. It felt cool and refreshing; just what I needed to beat the heat. Once Isoya finished changing, the six of us spent time splashing, swimming and having fun. It felt nice to relax after everything that had happened. My mind wandered to what Isoya had said to me the night after the first trial, about living each day to the fullest. I think this was as good as we were going to get in our current situation, but it was better than nothing. In fact, I think we had all grown a little closer through it.

After a while, we all headed off to bed. I slept really well. Something that hadn't happened in a very long time.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Goooooooooood morning everyone! It is now 7am and night time is officially over. Get ready to greet another beeeeeautiful day!"

I had gotten used to the announcement now. That didn't mean I enjoyed listening to that bear's voice every morning, but it wasn't as bad as it used to be. After my usual morning routine, I headed to the dining hall. Once I was settled in, eating my breakfast complacently, Nori walked through the door. Her hair was wet, and she was brushing through it with her fingers.

"I was relaxing in the pool before it got busy." She explained. "I'm planning on doing it every morning now, so don't bother me."

And with that said, she grabbed some food and sat down. The pool wasn't really hers, but if it was before breakfast, then I guess it didn't matter. None of us would be using it then anyways. After a while, Asami pushed her chair back and turned to all of us.

"I'm planning on shooting some hoops if anyone wants to join me." She offered. Mayu, Akio and Sota accepted the challenge. It would be interesting to see them go up against her. Was she planning to do teams? Or was she going to take them all on at once? Either one would be entertaining actually. Apparently Koharu thought the same thing, so we followed the group to the basket ball courts.

We sat on a bench at the side of the court, while the four of them stretched. Once that was done, the three on one game began. It seemed a bit more difficult for Asami than when she had gone against Kinji. After a bit, Ren walked through the gate in the metal fence.

"I was getting bored of being in my room." He explained as he sat down next to us. Koharu and him began talking. Turning back to the game, I saw that Asami had won. It had been a close game though. She jogged over to me.

"I'm really unfit right now." She said, her breathing completely normal.

"You look fine to me." I said back. She shrugged.

"I guess it seems that way to _you,_ but I can feel it." She said. "My muscles just aren't agreeing with me. I feel really lethargic. I guess the caffeine in that sports drink is wearing off."

It definitely looked like she was fine to me, but I guess it's difficult to see muscle fatigue.

"Well, you definitely have time to exercise if that's what it takes for you to get better." I said. "And I don't think caffeinated sports drinks help. You'll just crash!" Asami shook her head.

"I won't crash if I keep drinking them." She said. Then she started mumbling to herself. It looked like she was writing something out in the air.

"If we wake up at 7 and go to bed at ten..." She mumbled. "...then that's 15 hours. I guess I'll spend my days here, and at the library."

"The library?" I asked. That didn't seem like a place to go if you wanted to strengthen your muscles. She nodded.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed. "I can't just have strong muscles. I need a strong brain too! I'll have to come up with a schedule so I can exercise both."

"You should plan some free time in though." I suggested. Asami tilted her head to the side.

"Free time?" She asked. "I've never had free time."

"Never!?" I asked. How could someone never have free time?

"Yeah, never." She replied. "Basket ball already took up a lot of time, and if I wasn't practising I was studying in order to keep up my grades."

"That sound exhausting." I said. She nodded.

"Yeah. I never got much sleep because of it." She said. "But if I didn't keep my grades up I wouldn't be able to play basket ball." She yawned. "Drinking energy drinks always helped."

So she'd just drink them constantly? I guess that would get rid of the problem of crashing, but it probably wasn't good for her health.

"I'm sure you'll feel more awake if you relax a bit and get more sleep." I said. She fixed her ponytail as she thought it over.

"I guess I could try it." She said. "Thanks for the advice! If you ever need advice on your basket ball playing, I'm here. Okay?"

"Sure". I said smiling. I doubted that I'd spend much time playing basketball, but I appreciated the offer nonetheless. Asami stood up and ran to the others.

"Who's ready for game two!" She shouted. The others, who were still out of breath, nodded. They got in position for the next game. I guess they were trying to get fit too.

 _Knock knock knock_

Who could that be?

I was back in my room, laying in my bed. I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, but the knocking on my door woke me up. Without thinking, I got up and opened it. A bit of a stupid thing to do considering our situation but...

"Oh! Hello Yui. I-I'm sorry for bothering you."

The source of the knock was Missa. She was standing in the doorway with her eyes turned to the ground.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. What was she still doing up? She shifted her weight, still focused on the floor.

"I've been having nightmares and I can't sleep." She explained. "I'm sorry. I usually keep my problems to myself but... with this dream I just couldn't."

I motioned for her to come inside and pulled out a chair for her to sit on. Once she was comfortable I sat down on the bed, facing her.

"What was the dream about?" I asked. "Unless you'd rather not say." She shook her head.

"No, I don't mind." She said. "I was in a room. Everything was dark and I was scared. I couldn't help but feel like I was back in the closet the kidnappers put me in." She began shivering. "All of a sudden, I saw Koizumi's body. And then Hamano's. Standing next to them were Kinji and Bessihiki... I think."

"You think?" I asked. She nodded.

"They were wearing masks of Monokuma's face, so I wasn't sure. But after standing there, laughing at the bodies, they turned to me. I tried to run, but I couldn't! I was trapped in whatever place it was, with the two of them walking towards me. They had knives in their hands and as they raised them up, I heard Monokuma laughing. Then I woke up." She started to cry, her shoulders shaking from the sobs.

I wasn't sure what to say to her. I still wasn't used to stuff like this. As I tried to think of what I should do, I remembered when Kinji had visited me. It was around this time, wasn't it? What had he done to cheer me up?

I wrapped me arms around Missa's shoulders, hugging her tightly. The sobbing stopped from her surprise, but the tears were still flowing down her cheeks. After a moment, she hugged me back, pressing her face against my shoulder. When she spoke again, her words were muffled.

"I just want this to end!" She sobbed. "I don't want anyone else to die."

I rubbed her back slowly, trying to calm her down. It seemed to be doing the trick since she wasn't shaking as violently now.

"I'm sure it will be over soon." I reassured. "We just have to make sure we beat Monokuma! We can do it!"

She looked up at me with tear filled eyes. They were red and swollen.

"You think so?" She asked. I nodded.

"I know so."

Reassured by what I had said, Missa smiled. She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath, pulling away from the hug. Once this was done, she let out a weak laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked. She smiled again, but there was a hint of sadness to the expression.

"I told myself that I was going to get stronger." She explained. "That I wasn't going to cry anymore. I guess I messed that up."

"It's okay to cry." I said. "Just remember that we're all here to support you! We're all going to make it through this."

I thought for a moment. Would it be safe for her to go back to her room at this hour?

"Hey Missa." I said. "If you're too scared to be alone right now, you can spend the night here. I don't mind."

Missa shook her head, but I could tell she was considering it.

"I don't want to be a bother." She said.

"It's fine!" I replied. "I know I wouldn't want to be alone after a dream like that."

She thanked me and I tried to put together a makeshift bed. Unfortunately mine wasn't big enough for two people. I pushed together two chairs and put a blanket on it to make it more comfortable. I got ready to lay down on it, but Missa stopped me.

"You can sleep in your own bed." She said, and then she sat down on the crudely built bed. I felt like there would be no arguing with her, so I moved to my bed. Once I had pulled the covers up, I sighed. I hoped that what I said was true.

Were we really going to make it through this?


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When I woke up, Missa was still sleeping peacefully on the chairs. She seemed to be happy.

"Gooooooood morning everyone, it is now 7am and night time is officially over. Get ready to greet another beeeeeutiful day!"

The morning announcement woke her up. Her glazed eyes wandered the room as she tried to figure out where she was. When they fell on me, she smiled.

"Good morning." She said, sitting up. "I actually managed to stay asleep. That hasn't happened in a while." She sat up and stretched, but the action was cut short as she suddenly became worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Missa stood up, brushing her fingers quickly with her hair.

"Isoya knocks on my door every morning so we can walk to the dining hall together." She answered. "I forgot to tell him that I'm here." She headed towards the door and opened it up.

"Thank you for letting me stay here Yui." She said. "I'll try to make it up to you."

And then she closed the door. I decided to head to the dining hall, leaving the same way. On the way, I noticed Akio watching me curiously. I felt a bit uncomfortable because of it.

"Hey, Yui?" He said as I got closer, waving me over.

"Uh... yeah?"

He looked over to Missa, who was opening the door to her own room. Probably to grab a change of clothes.

"I saw Missa leave your room earlier." He said. "Did she spend the night?" I nodded.

"Yeah! She was scared, so I let her stay." I said. Akio looked away nervously.

"You guys didn't... you know..." He said.

Know what? What was he...

"Of course not!" I shouted. Realizing what he meant. "What made you think that!?" He put his hands up defensively.

"Geez! I'm sorry!" He said. "I just don't know much about girls, so I thought..."

"Well nothing happened." I snapped. "So get those thoughts out of your head!"

Saruwatari must have noticed our spat, since he walked over.

"What thoughts?" He asked. Akio turned to him, seeming thankful for a chance for escape.

"Missa spent the night in Yui's room" He said. Saruwatari seemed surprised as he turned to me.

"Wow! Really?" He said. "I didn't see you as that kind of girl Yui."

Him too? I had had enough of this.

"I'm not!" I said, practically fuming.

"Not the kind of girl to have slumber parties?" Saruwatari asked. He looked very confused. My anger instantly became embarrassment. The blood that had been hot a moment ago rushing to my cheeks.

"Oh. You meant that..." I said. "Sorry."

"What did you think I meant?" The vet asked. I shook my head.

"Never mind" I said over my shoulder as I turned away and headed towards the dining hall. Once I was inside and away from the embarrassing scene outside, I sat down next to Koharu. It was pretty much part of my routine at this point.

"Good morning Yui." Koharu said smiling. I waved.

"Good morning Koharu." I replied. "And to your friends as well." Koharu's smile somehow got even bigger once I added that. I was about to start talking, but was cut off by someone speaking behind me.

"Yui." The deep voice said. I turned around to see Isoya. I nodded to show that I had heard him. He looked to me, then to Koharu, and then back to me.

"I apologize for interrupting." He said. "I just wish to thank you for helping Miss Missa when I was unable to."

"It wasn't a problem." I said. His formality always made me feel kind of weird. "By the way" I added. "Are you having any luck remembering your talent?" Isoya shook his head.

"No. But that's fine. People are defined by who they are, not what they do."

Why did everything he say always sound so cool? After a bit of silence, I thought I'd ask him something.

"What are you doing today?"

"Spending time with Miss Missa."

Figured. He spent time with her almost 24-7. It should technically be considered creepy at this point, but for some reason I couldn't see it as being anything but sweet.

"Why _do_ you spend so much time with Missa?" I asked. Isoya was silent for a moment as he tried to think of an answer.

"I'm not entirely sure." He said. "I think it's because she brings me some comfort. Perhaps her gentle innocence helps me forget about our horrible situation."

Yep. Nothing but sweet. I thought about inviting him and Missa at the pool, but once again I was interrupted before I could get the words out.

"Hey guys!" Sota said cheerfully. "Guess what I've got!"

We all turned to face him. Apparently, what he had was a bunch of seed bags. He was holding the triumphantly in the air, a huge smile brightening up his face.

"I'm planning on planting some flowers at the park to make everyone happy." He explained. "I was hoping I could get some help." Koharu pointed at the seeds.

"Where did you get them?" She asked. I was kind of curious myself. I hadn't seen those kinds of seeds at the store. Sota somehow managed to smile even more as he pulled out more bags from his pocket.

"I always have these ones with me." He said before pulling out more from the other pocket. "And there were also some in the convenience store."

Some flowers would make the park look nicer. Plus it would be fun to do something together with everyone.

"I'll help out, Sota." I offered. The others nodded as well. Even Missa, who was now standing next to Isoya. I hadn't noticed her come over.

"Awesome!" Sota said. "I'll show you guys what to do!"

"And then you water it." Sota explained. We were at the park and he had been demonstrating what you had to do. It was pretty simple. Dig a hole, grab the seed, put it in the hole, cover it up, water then repeat. Koharu, Isoya, Missa and I all nodded to show that we understood, and then we got to work.

"You're a natural at this Yui!" Sota said. "Uh, no pun intended."

I jumped when he spoke. I had been focused on what I was doing and hadn't heard him walk up behind me. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Thanks." I replied. "It's pretty simple stuff." He smiled and knelt down next to me, digging a hole next to mine.

"Yeah. That's why I like it better than algebra and stuff like that." He laughed. I watched him work and was honestly surprised. He handled the seed so delicately that you'd think he was carrying a newborn child. I suppose in a way he technically was. Just, not a human child.

"Were you not good at school?" I asked. Gardening was more fun when you were talking to people, so I was kind of starved for conversation. He nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "I spent all of my time gardening instead of doing school work." He finished covering the seed and put his hand out to get the watering can. I handed it over to him.

"Isn't school a bit more important though?" He shook his head.

"Not for me." He replied. "There's someone I need to help, and I need to garden to do it."

My thoughts wandered back to when I had heard him sleep talking. He had mentioned two of his family members then.

"Your brother?" I asked. "Or maybe your mom?" He had moved over a bit and was planting the next seed, but looked up in surprise when he heard what I said. The seed bag dropped to the ground.

"How did you-"

"I heard you sleep talking."

His face became as red as a ripe tomato.

"Oh..." He said. "Did I... say anything embarrassing?" I shook my head.

"You just talked about your mom and brother." I replied. "You said he went to Hopes Peak and that you and your mom were on your own until he was done." I'm not sure how I remembered that. Until that moment I had actually forgotten about the whole thing.

"I see." He said, picking up the seed bag again. His face was still red and he was avoiding eye contact.

"So is your mom the one that you need to help?" I asked. "If you don't mind me asking." Sota nodded.

"Yeah." Sota said. "One day, when she was dropping my brother Santa and I off at school she collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital, and it turns out she was really sick. And I mean _really_ sick. It's a rare disease with no cure." His eyes seemed to be tearing up.

"I'm so sorry." I said. I hadn't meant to bring up such sad memories. He shrugged.

"It's not your fault." He said. "You don't need to apologize". He smiled as he took out another seed. The expression looked forced. "Santa and I decided that we'd find a cure. Since both of us had a natural talent for gardening. No pun intended." He covered the seed with some soil. "We both started staying home as much as we could. If we weren't helping mom, we were in the greenhouse. We came close a few times, but we didn't have the equipment we needed. And then..." His voice trailed off. His eyes seemed distant, as if he was reliving the memory as he spoke.

"Your brother got accepted into Hopes Peak?" I asked. Once again, he nodded.

"Yep." He said. "He said that with the equipment the school had, he would be able to do it. So I stayed home to take care of mom while he worked hard." I saw that he had stopped patting down the soil. Some water drops landed on the dirt. But, wasn't the watering can next to me? Looking up I saw that Sota was crying.

"What's wrong!?" I asked. Wouldn't it be good if his brother found a cure?

"It's just that..." Sota began, wiping away the tears. "I don't believe what Monokuma said."

"What he said?" I asked. Sota nodded. The tears were still falling to the ground, no matter he much he wiped them away.

"About us going to Hopes Peak." He explained. "My brother was already going there. So... I can't believe that I would go too. I would never leave my mom alone like that. I would never be that selfish!"

So he didn't believe Monokuma? It would be a difficult thing to accept if that was the truth; Knowing that he left his mom alone. I felt a pain in my stomach as I thought about that. What if Monokuma _was_ lying?

"If Monokuma was telling the truth," I said. "Then three years went by that we lost. Maybe your brother found a cure, and the memory of that happening was just taken away?"

The tears finally began to slow. Sota wiped them away a few more times before finally turning to face me. "Yeah!" He said weakly. "That must be it!" I could see a flicker of hope in his swollen eyes. He smiled and this time it seemed genuine. "Thank you Yui."

"You're welcome." I replied. I hadn't realized that he had been carrying that doubt on his shoulders this whole time. He had always seemed so cheerful. Sota went to water the seed that he had buried, but stopped once he saw the dampened soil. Without speaking he moved onto the next spot, but stopped again once the sound of a microphone filled the air.

"Ahem." Monokuma said. "This is an announcement from your mayor. Please make your way to the gym for an important meeting."

The microphone turned off. We all looked around, unsure of what this could mean. Koharu was the first to stand and she started walking to the gym. We all quickly followed. Once everyone had gathered, Monokuma appeared on the stage.

"Why hello everyone!" He said cheerfully. "I am so happy all of you could make it here today!"

"It's not like we could _not_ go." Isoya said. Monokuma shrugged.

"If you skipped, then you wouldn't be able to see this." He said, throwing his hands into the air. Stacks of money began falling from above him, landing in a neat pile on the stage. I had never seen that much money in one place before! Monokuma danced about as the pile grew.

"One million smackaroons!" He exclaimed once the money stopped. "No taxes or secret costs either."

Nori tossed her hair. Like usual, she was looking at her nails, finding that more interesting than what was happening.

"I'm guessing you have a reason for showing us that, right?" She asked. "Does this involve murder? Or are you just showing off?"

"Puhuhu! Of course it involves murder!" Monokuma said. "In fact, it's your next motive!"

So there was an extra cost after all. The cost for one million dollars was the life of a friend. I had to admit that the money was tempting, but not if I had to do that. Monokuma laughed again.

"When the blackened graduates, they're going to get that entire pile of cash!" He said. "Also, the wish motive is void now. You guys blew your chance on that one."

Everyone stared at the bear in silence. After this went on for a bit, Monokuma shrugged.

"Oh well." He said. "I'm just going to leave that pile there. Don't think about stealing though. I have cameras set all over the place for a reason."

And with that said, he left. The room was still silent as we all eyed the large pile of cash. Somehow it seemed even bigger than before.

"That seems kind of cliche." Mayu said. We all turned to face her. "I mean, killing for money? That happens all the time. It doesn't seem like something Monokuma would do." Saruwtari nodded.

"He's getting lazy". He said.

Cliche or not, there was still a chance that someone would kill to get it. That seemed to be what everyone was thinking. But it also seemed like Missa wanted to avoid that.

"C-come on guys! We can't fall for this!" She said. Speaking out like this wasn't like her at all. Even Isoya seemed surprised. Missa hesitated for a moment once she saw everyone looking at her.

"I-I mean..." She cleared her throat. "We've already lost four of our friends! We can't kill anyone else because of something as stupid as money!" With each word she seemed to be gaining confidence.

"We can't put a price on anyone's life. Not even a million dollars! We all need to swear that we won't try anything! We can't give up hope! We just need to find another way out of here!"

"She's got a point." Ren said. "From a strategic perspective, ignoring the motive is the best thing to do. If we anger Monokuma he could start to slip up and that could give us a chance to escape."

People were beginning to nod. It seemed like Missa's words had had an effect on them. Mayu smiled and patted Ren on the back, almost knocking off his glasses.

"You could have just said that you agreed without all the added stuff." She said before walking over to Missa. "I think she's right. Lets all agree to ignore Monokuma's motive!" Nori shrugged.

"I have enough money anyways." She said before leaving the gym. Other began to do the same. Soon everyone had left but me. I looked at the cameras on the wall. One was pointed at the money, another at where we had all been standing. Had Monokuma seen all of that? I couldn't help but doubt that he would be okay with us just ignoring his motive. I mean, deciding to not kill was good but...

Had we made the right choice? Or had we just made a huge mistake?


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The dining hall had a very upbeat atmosphere that morning. It was almost as if the situation the day before had never happened. Perhaps things were going to work out after all.

"Hey Yui!"

I turned away from my empty plate to see Mayu running towards me. She had a camera in her hand.

"Hey Mayu." I said. She waved.

"I was wondering if you could help me out with something." She said as she held out the camera. "I found this camera at the electronics store and I wanted to see if I could film some stuff!"

I had nothing better to do, so I said yes. Soon we were at the park, and Mayu was setting up her equipment. It seemed like most of it was from the second area stores, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what it all did.

"Hey Mayu." I said. "I should warn you that I'm not a very good actor. Maybe you should ask Nori instead.

"Nori?" Mayu asked, setting up a camera stand. "I don't really like her."

That was direct.

"Why not?" I asked. I mean, I kind of new the answer, but still.

"She says she doesn't like my work." Mayu said. "Plus she's a bit of a jerk." She finished setting up the camera stand and turned on the camera. "Or more than a bit I guess."

She had a point there. Nori didn't seem to like anyone else here. In fact, I didn't think I had had a single actual conversation with her.

"Do you know anything about her?" I asked. Mayu nodded.

"Yeah, I do." She said. "I was planning on casting her in a movie once, so I had to do my research. She turned down the role in the end though." She finished adjusting the camera, or, whatever it was that she had been doing, and turned to me.

"She started acting at a young age and got every single part she auditioned for." Mayu said. "She was super popular and even got a few movie roles when she was still a kid. After a while though, she became a drama queen. If things didn't go her way, she'd leave. It was almost like she thought everyone existed just to do what she wanted them to do. I'm actually glad she turned me down."

Mayu turned back to the camera.

"But enough about her, let's film. In this shot, I need you to... oh no!" She looked at the camera screen, panic in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, kind of happy that there was a chance that I wouldn't have to act.

"There's no film." Mayu said in a defeated tone. In a few seconds she was back to her cheery self though. "Oh well." She said "I'll just have to look for some at the store."

She sighed and started taking down all of the equipment. I decided to try and help.

"So have you been making movies long?" I asked. Mayu nodded.

"Yeah! Pretty much since I got my first camera as a kid." She answered. "I acted out and filmed my favourite movie scenes on my family's computer. I would always go all out with the sets and costumes." She smiled. "After a while I started writing my own scripts and acted those out instead! My parents loved to watch every video."

"Sounds like fun." I said. Mayu nodded again.

"It was." She said. "You know what?" She stopped what she was doing and backed away to look at the makeshift studio. "We could probably just leave this here. It's not like anyone is going to steal it." She nodded and started to run towards the train.

"I'll find some film and we can meet here tomorrow!" She shouted over her shoulder. I watched her run for a bit before shaking my head. The Ultimates were definitely... interesting.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. I hadn't realized how incredibly hot it was. Perhaps what I needed was a dip in the pool.

It seemed like I wasn't the only one who wanted to escape the heat. Isoya, Missa, Asami and (surprisingly) Ren were already at the pool. Isoya Missa and Asami were playing Marco Polo in the water. Asami was the one closing her eyes, and for some reason seeing Isoya saying "Polo" in his deep, mysterious voice was very amusing. I sat down next to Ren who was dangling his feet in the water. Seeing him in a bathing suit was even weirder than seeing Isoya in the water.

"What's up?" I asked, curious as to why he had finally left his room. He shrugged.

"Asami dragged me here and asked me to play Marco Polo." He explained. "I said yes since I had nothing better to do, and thankfully we ran into Isoya and Missa." He gestured to the aforementioned people in the water. "Missa said she wanted to open up to people more, so she decided to join."

"And Isoya goes where she goes." I added. Ren nodded.

"It's funny though." He said. "I always tried to avoid spending time with people other than my brother. Now I see that I was missing out. Spending time with all of you is almost relaxing in a way."

I'm sure his words would have had much more of an effect had he not fallen into the water immediately after saying them.

Looking over I saw that Asami had pulled him in. Ren's head emerged from the water and he began spitting out water. His glasses had managed to stay on somehow, but his wet bangs were now stuck to them.

"I take it back." He said bluntly. Asami, who had now opened her eyes, stifled a laugh.

"Sorry." She said. "I thought you were Missa."

I couldn't help but laugh, and Asami pulled me in too. We played Marco Polo for a bit, and even Ren joined in. After a while we all headed to the change rooms.

"That was fun!" Asami said. "We should do it again some time!" Missa nodded, drying her hair with a towel.

"Yeah." She said. "Maybe we can tomorrow."

I finished changing into my clothes and turned to face them. Asami's hair was in a towel and Missa was still changing.

"I'd be willing to join." I said. "I'll stop by once I'm done filming with Mayu." Asami and Missa smiled and finished changing. I went to open the door, but it swung open before my hand was even on the doorknob.

"Oh." Nori said as she saw the three of us already in the change room. "I didn't know the pool had a pest problem."

The happy atmosphere that had formed had been destroyed by a single sentence.

"That's kind of rude." I said. It was more than kind of rude actually.

"Do you think I care?" The actress asked. "I just wanted to take a dip in the pool, but I guess I can't now that the water is contaminated."

"The water is still pretty clean." Missa said, her eyes turned to the floor. She wasn't smiling anymore. "You can still swim if you want."

"As if." Nori said. "I'll probably get sick if someone as disgusting as you was in it before me."

She turned and left. Missa looked like she was about to cry. Asami put her hand on her shoulder.

"Cheer up Missa." She said encouragingly.

"Yeah! You can't let a comment like that ruin your day." I added. "You should try to just let it go."

Missa nodded and looked up.

"I'll try". She said. Then the three of us left the change room, heading back to our rooms to rest.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Everyone was in the dining hall the next morning. Perhaps we would really be able to ignore Monokuma's motive! I sat down next to Koharu like usual.

"Everyone seems cheery today." I said. "I think we're actually going to be able to pull this off." The artist nodded.

"Yep." She said. "And it's all thanks to Missa! After all, she was the one who convinced everyone to ignore the motive." I nodded and looked over to Missa. Her and Isoya were talking and she she was smiling.

"That's a rare sight." Sota said as he sat down at the table. Koharu and I looked at him and he gestured to Missa. "I don't think I've seen Missa smile even once since we got here."

"I've seen her smile quite a few times." Koharu said. "You must have just forgotten"

"Yeah, probably." Sota said, nodding slowly. "I have a horrible memory. I'd forget my own head if it wasn't screwed on right." He laughed, and Koharu and I couldn't help but laugh with him. However, my laugh was cut short by a tap on my shoulder. It was Mayu and she looked pretty sad. Before I could ask why, she explained.

"There wasn't any film at the store." She said. "So I can't film."

She seemed pretty bummed about it, so I tried to think of a way to cheer her up.

"Why don't you try writing some scripts instead?" I suggested. "That way you'll be ready when we get out of here and you can film again." Mayu's depression was gone immediately. It was replaced by a spark of excitement that was almost overwhelming.

"That's a great idea!" She exclaimed. "I could make a movie about what we're going through. It could be my way of honouring those we've lost. Especially since I know we aren't going to lose anyone else." She held out her hands in a mock frame and looked at me through it. "You know Yui, I think you would be pretty good as a lead role type character." I shook my head, slowly lowering down her hands before she poked my eye out.

"Nah. I think if anything, I'm more of a supporting character, or even an extra." I said. Mayu shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

"What are you going to name it?" Koharu asked. Mayu thought for a moment.

"I'm thinking... Dangan Ronpa!" She answered. Sota tilted his head to the side.

"What kind of name is that?" He asked. Mayu looked slightly hurt at the question.

"It's abstract! And foreign!" She said defensively.

"And it makes no sense" Sota said back. Mayu didn't hear him. She was walking away, mumbling about sets and characters.

"Ember says he thinks it's a cool name." Koharu said. I nodded and excused myself, heading to the library.

I was there for a while, reading a bunch of different books, and eventually I heard the television monitor turn on. Was it ten o-clock already?

"This is a public service announcement." Monokuma said. "Could all citizens please come to the gazebo? It is urgent, so please don't dilly dally."

He was speaking politely, but the tone showed that he'd rather not be. Worried about what could be happening, and not wanting to anger Monokuma more than necessary, I made my way to the Gazebo. At the train station, I saw Isoya waiting.

He was alone.

"Hey." I said, walking up to him. "Where's Missa?"

It was weird not seeing the two together. Had something happened? Isoya looked as worried as I felt.

"I do not know." He said. "I was relieving myself when I heard the announcement. When I left, Missa was nowhere to be seen."

In other words, he was going to the washroom and Missa was gone when he left. He could have just said it that way.

"She's probably just at the gazebo already." I said. Isoya nodded before taking a thin, rolled up book out of his pocket. It was the music book he had been carrying before.

"You're still holding onto that?" I asked.

"Yes, I am." He replied. "It was a gift from Miss Missa, so I will never lose it."

Sweet as ever.

The train arrived and we rode it together in silence. Eventually we made it to the gazebo. It was covered in a large white sheet from top to bottom. Unable to see what was inside, we waited for everyone to arrive. One by one, people approached the gazebo, each one curious as too what was inside. I felt my stomach tighten as I thought of the worst case scenario.

Had someone killed a friend for the million dollars?

"Finally! It took forever for you all to show up." Monokuma said, causing us all to jump. "Didn't I say no dilly dallying?"

He looked angry. Granted, it was hard to tell for sure since he was a bear.

"I've called you all here because I'm very annoyed." He said. "You're all ignoring my motive, even after all the effort I put in to coming up with it."

His mouth curled into something like a smirk. Was it possible for a bear to smirk? Either way, it made me uncomfortable.

"Because of how ungrateful you all were, I've come up with a new motive." Monokuma said. He pulled the sheet, finally revealing the contents of the gazebo. The sides were now all glass and there was no way inside. However, more importantly, laying on the ground was Missa. I felt my muscles tense up when I saw her. Was she... was she dead? No, she was breathing. Monokuma was still smirking, holding the sheet in his paw.

"Since this little brat is the one responsible for your change of heart," He began. "I'm going to have to punish her. I'll let her out once someone has committed a murder. If you guys ignore this too, she'll just stay in there until she dies, and then all of you will be the murderers!"

"Wouldn't that mean we all get to leave?" Saruwatari asked. Was he really considering letting Missa die to save ourselves!? Granted, I suppose we did that in every class trial... Either way, it wasn't right. Monokuma shook his head.

"Nope." He replied bluntly. "There wouldn't be a class trial. We'd skip right to the punishment."

"What the hell is with him?" Akio asked. "Has he gone insane or something?" Ren shook his head.

"It seems more like he's being a sore loser." He said. Monokuma's smirk became a frown again.

"I'm not being a sore loser!" He snapped. "I'm just trying to show you guys what happens when you ignore the mayor's generosity. Now, the clock is ticking! Puhuhu."

And then he was gone. I looked around. It seemed like no one knew what to do. Beside me, I saw Isoya clenching his fist. He never showed emotion. The situation must have been really hard on him.

"Are you okay, Isoya?" I asked. Realizing that I was watching him, he relaxed and nodded. Nori shrugged.

"I say we just leave her in there." She suggested. "It's not like she's doing anything to help us anyway."

"Besides the _obvious_ reason we can't do that," Ren said. "She's our friend. We can't exactly leave her to die."

"Yep." Michiyo said. "Plus, Monokuma just said that if she dies, we all die." Next to her, Sota was frantically looking through his E-Handbook.

"Isn't that against the rules or something though?" He asked. Asami shook her head.

"Based off the current situation, I'd say that Monokuma isn't really following rules anymore." She said.

"Nonetheless" Ren continued. "We can't allow a murder to happen. We'll have to think of something else to do." Saruwatari gestured to the gazebo.

"Why don't we just break the glass." He said. "Or signal to Missa to try and find a way out."

As he said this, Missa woke up. Mayu immediately ran to the glass and began to wave her arms.

"Missa! Hey Missa!" She shouted. Missa didn't respond. How could she not see her?

"Oh yeah! I forgot to mention." Monokuma said. Once again, we all jumped. When did he get back?

"The glass is one way glass, shatter proof, and sound proof. In other words, the only way you're getting her out, is by killing someone." He said proudly. "Also, since you're all here anyways I'll make the announcement now. It is now 10pm and night time has begun. You all need to get back to your rooms. Bwahahaha"

Once again he left. His laughed echoed through the air, and sent shivers down my spine. He seemed to be proud of himself.

"I guess we have no choice but to go to bed then." Mayu said. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. Reluctantly, we all returned to our rooms. I couldn't sleep knowing that I was in a comfortable bed while Missa was stuck in that cold, small, dark gazebo. With her claustrophobia, she had to be terrified.

"Damn you Monokuma!" I shouted.

I'm not sure where that had come from, but the words were filled with a deep hatred. I sighed and curled up under the covers, wishing for things to go back to the way they had been before. When everyone had been full of hope. After what seemed like an eternity, I fell asleep.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The next morning, I woke up before the Monokuma announcement. I debated going to the gazebo right away, but decided against it. We had decided to meet at the dining hall every morning, so I could make people worry by not going. Once I was there, I looked around.

One, two, three, four... I counted the people coming in. Nine, ten, eleven...

Eleven? That was one too little. Where was Nori? I waited for a while, but the door still didn't open. Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed her absence.

"Has anyone seen Nori?" Mayu asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"Hmm. I'll go check her room." The director said. Asami stopped her.

"She won't be there." She said. "Nori goes to the pool every morning before breakfast, so she's probably there."

"Then I'll check there first." Mayu said. "Could someone come with me?"

Asami and I offered to come and the three of us headed to the pool. Normally a trip to the pool felt happy, but this time the atmosphere was anything but that. The change room was empty, so we headed to the pool area. Part of me seemed to know that what we would find wouldn't be good. I felt the now too familiar sense of despair as the change room door opened.

Floating face down in the water, limp and lifeless, was Nori's corpse. Her hair was like silk, beautiful and weightless in the water. There was no blood, no doubt thanks to the chlorine. It almost seemed like she was still alive and well. Like at any moment, she would lift her head out of the pool and ask us why we were staring.

But I knew she wouldn't.

The body discovery announcement went off, but I didn't listen. Mayu was shaking and Asami put her hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"I... can't believe this happened again." I said, struggling to put together the words. I didn't feel faint this time. Was I getting used to seeing dead bodies? I shuddered at the thought.

"It solves the problem with Missa." Asami said. Despite her attempt to sound confident, her voice was shaking.

She was right though. Monokuma said that if someone died then Missa would be let out. I ran through the change room and turned towards the gazebo. I got there quickly and looked at the building. Missa was sleeping on the ground, shivering from the cold. The glass was still sealed. She was still trapped.

"What! Why is she...?"

"Sorry, but she's not getting out until after the trial."

I turned around to see Monokuma standing behind me. I felt the urge to punch him. What kind of sick game was he trying to play?

"Why!?" I asked. He had said she'd be released once a murder had occurred and, as horrible as it was, one had. Monokuma just laughed.

"I have my reasons." He said in a sickly sweet voice. It made my skin crawl. "But you have somewhere more important to be."

He left, laughing again.

"Damn it." I said. Clenching my fist I turned to the Gazebo. "Don't worry Missa. You'll be out of there soon."

And then I ran back to the pool. Everyone had gathered by the time I got there.

"Where's Missa?" Asami asked.

"She's still stuck in the gazebo." I answered. Isoya snapped to attention when he heard this.

"What!?" He exclaimed. His eyes seemed fierce and I instinctively stepped back. Asami held up a hand to calm down Isoya, and the boy took a deep breath. In an instant he was as emotionless as ever. However, I noticed that his knuckles were white. He wasn't completely calm yet.

"Why is she still in there?" Asami asked. "I thought that..."

"That she would be let out when someone is murdered?" Monokuma asked, once again appearing out of nowhere. "Well, I've changed my mind. She's in there until after the trial"

"Why!?" Sota asked. Monokuma just shrugged.

"I got my reasons." He answered nonchalantly. "And you've got your own problems to deal with."

The ferocity had returned to Isoya's eyes as he glared at the bear.

"Monokuma" He said. Monokuma turned to face him.

"That's my name."

"I don't care for liars or cheaters, and at this moment, you are both." Isoya said. "I should warn you that when I have the chance, I am going to tear you apart limb by limb." In response to this, Monokuma tilted his head to the side.

"You must be new to the whole sneak attack thing." He teased. "It doesn't work if you tell the victim you're going to kill them. Though you must know that. After all, you..."

He was cut off by a sudden movement from Isoya. The boy lunged at the bear, only stopping once both Akio and Saruwatari had grabbed him. Even with their combined efforts, they looked like they were struggling. Monokuma simply laughed.

"Wow! I must have struck a nerve!" He said cheerfully, but then he became dead serious. "It's a good thing those two stopped you, because violence against the mayor is prohibited. It would have been a shame if we had two dead bodies to deal with."

After listening to Monokuma's words, Isoya stopped struggling. He calmed himself and turned away from the bear. Monokuma laughed again.

"Well, now that that's done," He said. "I present to you... The Monokuma File!"

He used his device and sent us the file. I waited silently for him to finish. I just wanted him to leave.

"The clock is ticking in more ways than one." Monokuma warned. "So get a move on okay!"

Then he left again. Saruwatari let go of Isoya's arm, shaking out his own.

"Hey Isoya... you okay?" He asked. Isoya nodded.

"I apologize." He said. "I should not have lost control. Thank you for restraining me." Saruwatari laughed.

"It certainly wasn't easy. You're pretty strong."

As this strange interaction went on, I noticed Ren staring at Isoya. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Monokuma is right." He said suddenly. "The clock is ticking, so let's start the investigation."

"I'll read the Monokuma file." I offered. I opened the file and began to read.

"Victim, Nori Ayuma. Cause of death, stabbed in the back. Time of death, around five in the morning. The body was thrown into the pool, and there are no signs of the weapon being taken out of the victim's back. No other injuries were found besides the stab wound." Saruwatari nodded slowly as he listened to what I was saying.

"We should send some people to watch Missa, have two people guard the murder scene, and then the rest of us investigate the area." He said once I was finished.

"Sounds good." I said. Isoya stepped forward.

"I will keep an eye on Miss Missa." He offered. Mayu walked over as well.

"I'll join you." She said. "I... I need to get away from the body."

The two of them left and Akio and Asami offered to watch the crime scene.

"That worked out nicely." Ren said. Saruwatari tapped the mathematician on the shoulder.

"I can't perform an autopsy this time." He said. Ren fixed his glasses and shrugged.

"Because of the water?" He asked. "That's fine. The Monokuma file had enough information."

While the two of them were talking, I decided to look at the body. At first I hesitated but... it didn't seem to be as bothersome as before. It really was terrifying what people could get used to.

The body was the same as before. The Monokuma file had said that being stabbed in the back was the cause of death but... there was no knife.

"That's strange." I mumbled.

"You noticed it too?" Koharu asked.

"Huh?" I said, startled by her sudden appearance. She was looking at the Monokuma file on her E-Handbook.

"The Monokuma file said that the weapon wasn't taken out of the body, but there's no weapon there." She said. I nodded, looking at the corpse again,

"Yeah. I wonder why that is." I said. Asami, who was guarding the corpse, shrugged.

"There's no use trying to figure it out right now." She said. "We don't know enough about the murder yet."

"I guess you're right." I admitted. Not sure what else I could do with the body in the water, I headed to the change room. Michiyo was already inside and she turned to face me when I walked in.

"If you're hoping to investigate, then you aren't going to find much." She said monotonously. "I've looked around the whole room and there's nothing here."

As much as I wanted to trust Michiyo, I still felt like she could be lying. I did a quick scan of the room anyways. Like she said, there was nothing there.

"I told you. so" She said. I could have done without the attitude. Before I could ask Michiyo anything, I saw Ren enter the change room. Michiyo had seen him as well.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "This is the girl's change room."

"Monokuma is letting everyone into both change rooms for the sake of the investigation." He explained. This was news to me. Perhaps we'd have better luck on the boy's side.

The boy's change room looked pretty much the same as the girls, but there were blue walls instead of pink. Sota was already inside and he waved when I came in. He must have already known about what Ren had told us. Besides him, the only thing that stood out was a small freezer. Opening it up I saw that it was filled with soda and ice packs. Nothing of interest there. Next to the freezer was a small garbage can. It wouldn't hurt to take a peek right? I stuck my hand in and felt around. The only thing inside was a creased up piece of paper that looked like a page from a book. It almost looked like it had been folded into something. It was also wet.

"That's just unforgivable." Sota said. I turned around. Was he talking to me? He pointed at the paper.

"That should be recycled. Not thrown into the trash." He said. I suppose that as the Ultimate Botanist, it made sense that he would prefer to recycle.

"I'll move it to some recycling later." I said, putting it in my pocket. For some reason I think he thought that I was the one who had put it into the trash. I didn't want to have that argument at the moment. Though, it wouldn't hurt to ask Sota about the murder. I walked over to him. He was standing next to a large laundry hamper filled to the brim with towels.

"Hey Sota." I said.

"Yeah?" He replied. "Do you need anything?"

"I was wondering if you know anything about the murder." I said. He thought for a moment. It looked like he was really racking his brain.

"Actually." He said after a bit. "I do." He smiled. "This morning, I was sleepwalking and I ended up waking up in the third area."

I don't think he realized what he had just said. Did that mean he was near the crime scene around the time of the crime? Not wanting to make assumptions, I decided to just keep that info to myself for now. I didn't want a repeat of what had happened to Ren and Akio in the first two murders. There wasn't any other evidence pointing to Sota so... wait, what was that smell?

"Do you smell that?" I asked. Sota put his hands up defensively.

"It wasn't me!" He exclaimed. I shook my head.

"Not that kind of smell." I said. "It smells, kind of sweet. And really familiar."

It wasn't a good smell, and it seemed to be coming from the hamper. As much as I didn't want to look through a bunch of used towels, I did it anyways. I had to figure out what the smell was. As I dug through the white towels, I eventually found a different colour. Red. At the very bottom of the hamper was a blood soaked towel. I pulled it out just as Saruwatari entered the room. A look of shock appeared on his face as he saw it.

"That was hidden in the hamper?" He asked. "But that means..."

He was interrupted by the sound of the monitor turning on.

"Attention everyone." Monokuma said. "As I said before, the clock is ticking, so lets get this thing started."

The screen went black, and I turned back to Saruwatari.

"What were you saying?" I asked. Saruwatari shook his head.

"I'll tell you at the trial." He said. Then he left the room. Sota and I followed behind him and we made our way to the large red door.

As we waited for everyone to arrive, I noticed Isoya standing alone. I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at my touch, but the relaxed.

"Are you feeling any better?" I asked. He nodded.

"I am fine." He said. "But Miss Missa has been better. The best thing we can do for her is get this trial done quickly."

I noticed that he was holding the book Missa had given him. He must have felt horrible seeing her locked up like like that. We both looked up as the large red door opened. Everyone headed inside and the door slammed shut behind us. The elevator roared to life and began the descent.

Despite our efforts, it had happened again. As the elevator clanged loudly, and we descended deeper and deeper, I felt hopeless. Missa was depending on us, and if we failed, we'd lose both out lives and hers.

If we failed this trial, we would never go up this elevator again.

Was the killer really one of us? At this point, it would have been stupid to deny it. The only way we would avoid sharing Nori's fate would be finding the culprit. As I thought about this the elevator came to a halt, and the trial, a battle between hope and despair, began.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial." Monokuma began. "The result of the trial is determined by your own votes. If the correct culprit is chosen, then only they will receive punishment. But if you choose the wrong one, I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they alone will get to leave!"

"It looks so empty in here now." Asami said, looking around. Sota nodded.

"It doesn't help that Missa isn't here."

"The sooner this trial is over, the sooner we can help her." Isoya added.

"Hey! I was talking!" Monokuma said. He sounded a little insulted by the fact he had been ignored. Ren nodded.

"Yes you were." He said bluntly before turning back to the rest of us. "So to start, let's talk about the murder weapon." Monokuma just sat down on his throne in a huff. Ignoring him, Akio put up his hand.

"The Monokuma file said that Nori was stabbed in the back right?" He said. "So that means the weapon is a knife!"

"But if that's the case, then we have a problem." Koharu argued. Akio looked at her, his head tilted to the side.

"What?" He asked. Koharu took out her E-Handbook and turned it on.

"The Monokuma file said that the weapon wasn't taken out of the body." She explained. Akio just shrugged.

"Yeah. So?" he asked. Michiyo sighed.

"If the weapon wasn't taken out, the there should have been a gigantic knife in her back." She said bluntly.

Akio looked away, obviously uncomfortable from the baker's glare.

"Wasn't there?" He asked.

"There wasn't."

"Oh. Never mind then."

Akio started looking away. It was easy to see that he was trying to hide his embarrassment. Sota rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"What if the knife was invisible?" He asked. Ren shook his head.

"Can you please think before you speak." He said. This time, Saruwatari put his hand up.

"What if the knife disintegrated?" He asked.

Disintegrated? That was definitely an out of the box idea.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well," Saruwatari began. "If the knife wasn't taken out, but there was nothing in the wound, maybe the knife disintegrated in the water." Now Ren seemed to be interested.

"So you're saying the knife melted?" He asked. Mayu slammed her hands on her podium. She always got way too enthusiastic.

"That's ridiculous!" She exclaimed. "Knives aren't ice. They don't melt."

She had a point. Knives didn't melt. But...

"What if the knife _was_ ice?" I suggested. Michiyo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you saying the killer stabbed Nori with an icicle?" She asked.

"In a way." I replied. "More specifically, they made a knife out of ice."

"How would someone do that?" Sota asked. I thought back to the things I had found in the change room. The killer just had to use the freezer and one other thing.

"If you poured water into a knife shaped mold, then froze it, then you would have a knife made out of ice." I explained. Asami shook her head.

"But knife shaped molds aren't exactly easy to find." She argued. She had a point, but she also hadn't investigated the change room. Now that one piece of evidence made a lot more sense.

"You're right." I admitted. "But they are easy to make if you know what to do."

"How exactly would you make one?" Isoya asked. I took out the paper that I had put in my pocket.

"This paper was in the garbage can in the boy's change room." I explained. "There are lots of creases in it, and I think if we folded it along those creases, we'll have the mold we've been looking for."

I began to fold the paper, being careful not to make ay mistakes. Everyone waiting in suspense, watching my every move. It was a bit unnerving. After a bit, I finished. When the paper was folded, it was unmistakeably a mold of a knife.

"There! See!" I exclaimed. "The killer must have poured water in this, and then frozen it over night. That would also explain why the paper was wet when I found it." Saruwatari nodded.

"And that's how they made the ice knife." He agreed. Ren nodded as well.

"It would also solve the mystery of the missing weapon." He said. "An ice dagger would have dissolved in the water, just like Saruwatari said."

"So we've figured out what the murder weapon is." Isoya said. "But there is no way to narrow down who the killer is. It could be anyone." Saruwatari shook his head.

"No, that's wrong." He said quickly. I could see that Isoya was annoyed. I knew that he wanted to get this done quickly, but being impatient wouldn't help anything.

"I don't see what's wrong with my logic." Isoya said. "Any one of us could fold paper and fill it with water." Once again, Saruwatari shook his head.

"No, I think there's a way to significantly cut down the number of suspects." He argued. "Right Yui?"

Huh!? Me? How would I know? The vet seemed to notice my confusion.

"Remember what you found in the boy's change room?" He said.

I found quite a few things in there. Which one could he have been talking about. I thought for a moment and remembered that Saruwatari had reacted strangely to one of the items.

"You're talking about the bloody towel?" I asked.

"Yep." Sota's face lit up as he realized what we were talking about.

"You mean the one you guys found in the boys change room?" He asked. Mayu seemed to figure out what Saruwatari and I had realized.

"Oh. I see." She said. "You're saying that since the bloody towel was in the boy's change room, the killer has to be a boy?"

"Yep." I replied. "There's also the fact that we didn't find anything in the girls change room, so I'm guessing the killer never went in there." Akio, who had finally decided to participate again, put his hand up.

"What if someone just put the towel in there during the investigation?" He suggested. Sota shook his head.

"I was in there the whole time and I didn't see anyone do that." He said. Asami counted the boys in the room.

"So that leaves us with five suspects." She said. Ren sighed.

"Considering the time of death was around five in the morning," He said. "I guess none of us have an alibi." Akio groaned and held his head.

"Then how are we going to figure this out?" He asked. "There's no way to know who went to the pool this morning."

"No, that's wrong." I said.

"What are you talking about?" Michiyo asked, though, based on her tone she didn't really seem to be interested in the answer.

"I know that one person went to the pool this morning." I said.

"We are speaking of people besides the victim." Isoya said. I was getting very tired of his attitude.

"I know." I said. "I'm talking about Sota." Sota's head snapped up.

"Me?" He asked. For some reason he seemed really surprised. Was his memory actually that bad?

"You told me that this morning you were sleep walking, and ended up in the third area." I reminded him. Mayu quickly turned to the botanist.

"Wait what? How did you get there?" She asked. Sota shrugged.

"I don't know." He replied. "I just woke up near my flower garden." Ren fixed his glasses before turning to Sota.

"So you left you room, took the train, got off at the third stop and made it all the way to your garden while sleep walking?" He asked. The disbelief was painfully apparent in his face.

"Yep!"

"That's some... impressive sleep walking." Ren replied. Sota smiled, not picking up the doubtful tone in Ren's voice.

"That's nothing." He said. "I once woke up on an plane travelling to Canada! I had bought the ticket in my sleep and taken a taxi over. Luckily the plane hadn't left yet though, so I was able to get off."

Ren's disbelief had become complete shock.

"Well... I'm not actually sure how to react to that." He said.

"Sota's sleeping habits aside," Isoya interrupted. "We still need to discuss the issue at hand. If Sota was at the third area, then does that not mean he is the most suspicious suspect?" I nodded, as much as I didn't want it to be true.

"Unfortunately yes." I said. Sota became panicked, no doubt thinking about what had happened in past trials.

"But I'm not the only one who went over there!" He said quickly. "I saw someone else."

"You did?" Mayu asked. "Who did you see?" Sota frowned and furrowed his brow.

"I saw... I saw..." He almost looked like he was in pain from the effort. "Darn it! I can't remember!"

"He must be lying then." Michiyo accused. Sota shook his head.

"I'm not lying. I did see someone!" He said defensively. "It was when I just woke up, so I thought it was a dream, but I think it must have been real." Ren put up his hand to stop Sota's talking.

"Sota," he began. "I think I might be able to help jog your memory." Now Sota almost seemed to be in awe.

"You can?" He asked. Ren nodded slowly.

"Yes." He said. "There was something that Monokuma said that's been bothering me for a while now. It was when Isoya lost his composure." He paused to look at Isoya for a moment. "When Monokuma was speaking of sneak attacks, he said that you would know how to do one. At first I just assumed he was trying to make you seem suspicious, but you did that yourself by lunging at him to cut him off."

"Oh! I see!"Asami exclaimed. "You're saying that Monokuma was talking about Isoya killing Nori?" Once again, Ren nodded.

"Yes. That's right." He said. "Why else would Isoya try to cut him off?" He turned his gaze from Isoya back to Sota.

"So was Isoya the one you saw when you woke up in the third area?" He asked. Sota thought for a moment and then started nodding.

"Yeah! It was actually!" He said. "He was far away, but I'm pretty sure it was him!"

"Pretty sure isn't going to cut it." Akio said. "Did you see him or not?" Frightened, Sota nodded faster.

"Yeah. I saw him." Everyone's gaze turned to Isoya, who despite the accusations was as emotionless as ever.

"Is it not possible that Sota is simply lying in order to frame me for his crimes?" He asked.

"I don't think he has the mental capacity to do that." Michiyo said.

"Nonetheless." Isoya cotinued. "You cannot accuse me based on his words alone." Saruwatari tapped his fingers and tilted his head to the side.

"But if you think about it" He said. "Based on the motive, you're much more suspicious than Sota."

"He's got a point." Mayu agreed. "You and Missa are pretty much inseparable. I can see you doing something rash in order to get her out of the gazebo." Isoya was starting to break, and there was a hint of panic in his eyes. Like a cornered animal, ready to pounce.

"But this is all just speculation!" He argued. "You have no proof!"

Did we really have no proof? I looked down, trying to remember everything I had found. I noticed the paper on my podium. I hadn't realized before, but now that I looked closer I saw that there was something printed on it.

"We do have proof though." I said. Isoya's icy stare turned to me. He didn't seem sweet anymore.

"That's impossible." He said. I held up the paper so he could see it.

"The paper that was used to make the mold was torn from a book." I explained. "The water faded the ink, but you can still see the lines of the music."

Isoya must have realized where I was going with this, since he remained silent.

"It was torn from the book Missa gave to you as a gift. Wasn't it?" I asked. Isoya was still silent. Was he still not willing to admit it?

"If I explain this case from the start, I think you'll see that you can't deny your guilt." I said.

"First, the killer tore a piece of paper from the book and folded it into the shape of a knife. They needed a disposable mould if their plan was going to work. Then they filled it with water and left it in the change room over night. The next morning, they followed Nori to the pool, knowing that she went there every morning since she announced it to all of us a while back. While she was changing, they grabbed the dagger and towel. Once Nori was by the pool, the killer stabbed her in the back, dropping the body into the water. The knife stayed in the body, but blood still got on the killers hands. They wiped this away with the towel. In the change room, they hid the towel in the hamper. No doubt they debated bringing it and the mould with them, but after what happened to Bessihiki, they decided against it. With the towel in the hamper and the mould in the trash, the killer left the change room. Unfortunately, Sota saw them when he woke up in the middle of sleepwalking. Fortunately, Sota thought it was just a dream. It would have been a perfect murder if the killer had simply taken the mould and towel with them, but they didn't and that's what got them caught. After all, the paper came from your book, right Isoya?"

Isoya was silent as he listened to my explanation. Once I finished, he nodded slowly.

"I suppose you are right." He admitted. "I cannot deny my crime any longer."

Monokuma, who was done sulking, stood up excitedly.

"Alright then! It's time for the long awaited voting time! Please use the levers next to you to vote. Will you choose the right one? Or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna be!?"

We all pulled the levers and once again, the jackpot machine appeared on the screen. The face that appeared this time was Isoya's.

"Corrrrrrect!" Monokuma said. "The backstabbing liar was Isoya Taiki!"

I felt my stomach knot. Once again, we had condemned a friend to die.

"Isoya..." I began. "I'd ask why you did it, but I think we all know already." Isoya sighed.

"You are probably right." He said. "I could not leave Miss Miissa in there. Monokuma knew this, and he approached me. He promised that if I were to become the blackened, then he would release both myself and Miss Missa."

"Isn't that against the rules though?" Michiyo asked. Monokuma nodded.

"Yep! It is!" He said cheerfully. "So, in other words, I lied." Isoya turned to the bear in shock.

"What?"

"I can't exactly let two people out can I?" Monokuma teased. "I'd be breaking my own rules." Isoya clenched his fist.

"Damn you Monokuma." He said, but quickly calmed himself. "Though I suppose I should have seen this coming." Mayu had tears in her eyes. No doubt it was because she didn't want to lose another friend. I felt the same.

"You're as calm as always." She said. "How are you not freaking out right now?" Isoya smiled. I don't think I had seen him do that before.

"If I had done nothing, then lady Missa would have died and we would have all suffered the consequences." He said. "If I had succeeded, then all of you, including lady Missa would have died. In a way, I'm almost happy that I have failed. This is the only way all of you get to continue living."

"It really is a shame though." Asami said. "That you're going to be executed before you remembered your talent." Isoya was silent for a moment after hearing this. It almost seemed like he was debating something.

"I suppose that since I'm going to be leaving you all soon, I should tell you the truth." He said.

"You mean you've been lying?" Saruwatari asked. Isoya just nodded in response.

"I did not forget what my talent was." He admitted. "I was simply keeping it a secret." Ren tilted his head to the side.

"Then what _is_ your talent?" He asked. Once again, Isoya was silent as he seemed to debate sharing his answer.

"I am the Ultimate Hitman." He said after a short time.

"Wait, what?" Akio exclaimed. "You mean you... you kill people?"

"Yes." Isoya replied. "Though, at the beginning of this game, I swore to myself that I wasn't going to kill anyone. My employers were not here, so I had no reason to kill any of you."

Hitmen? Employers? This all seemed so surreal. Part of me wished that it was all a dream, but I knew that despite the strange story, it wasn't.

"Your... employers?" I asked. Once again, Isoya nodded.

"I assume you have heard of the Kuzuryuu clan." He said. This time it was Ren's turn to nod.

"The infamous Yakuza clan?" He replied. "Of course."

"When I was young, my parents owed a great sum of money to them." Isoya explained. "They decided that rather than pay the price, they would offer them their first born son. The Kuzuryuu clan raised me to be a killer. I would assassinate those who could not pay the debts they owed, or those who were simply the clan's enemies."

"So you were pretty much their executioner?" Sota interrupted.

"That is one way to put it." Isoya replied. "Though I would never kill without reason. I would only kill those I saw as evil." Koharu raised her hand to get his attention.

"Why would you keep this a secret?" She asked. Once again, Isoya thought silently before answering.

"Because I was confused." He said. "I did not understand how someone with such a gruesome and violent talent could be accepted into Hopes Peak Academy. I felt as though I did not belong here." Mayu had finally started to cry.

"We would have accepted you though!" She exclaimed. "You didn't need to hide who you are Isoya!"

"Nonetheless," He replied. "It is too late now. There are people who deserve to die. Sinners, liars, cheaters, each of them brings nothing but negativity to this world. Now, I am one of those people. I lied to you all, and I put you at risk. I have become one of the people who time and time again I hunted down to kill." He paused and scanned the room, looking at each of us.

"I do not remember the time I spent with each of you at Hopes Peak Academy." He said."But I doubt any of you have sinned so greatly that you deserve to suffer through this situation. You are good people, and I pray that you will all make it out of here."

Monokuma had been waiting patiently, but now he rolled his eyes.

"Enough of this lovey dovey emotional stuff." He said. "Booooring! Now. I've prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Hitman Isoya Taiki! It's punishment time!" Isoya smiled again.

"Do not mourn my death." He instructed. "Use it as an incentive to get out. Let this punishment be the last."

The chain wrapped around his neck and he was pulled into the corridor that had opened. The doors slammed behind him as he closed his eyes. This time, the screen flickered to life to show the second area. It had been transformed into a parade and hundreds of Monokumas were cheering at the passing floats. It cut to Isoya, wandering through the crowd. One of the floats caught his eye. In it was Missa, lying unconscious. Isoya ran towards it, but stopped when he noticed something on a nearby roof. On top of it was Monokuma, pointing a gun at Missa. Time seemed to slow as he pulled the trigger. The bullet was heading right for the young pianist, but then it was gone. Instead of hitting Missa, it had hit Isoya, who had jumped into it's path and was now sitting in a pool of blood on the pavement. The screen went black.

Afterwards, no one said a word. However, this time there was no long silence. This time we all ran quickly to the elevator. The ride seemed longer than ever as we slowly made our way back to the surface. I was sad that we had lost Isoya, but if we didn't move quickly we could lose another friend as well. Once the doors opened again, we all sprinted to the second area. Ren, who couldn't sprint, still moved quickly. In the second area, all signs of the parade were gone.

Including Isoya's body.

In the middle of the road, we found Missa. She was unconscious and looked pale. Ren was last to get there, but first to react.

"Akio." He said. "Can you carry her to the dining hall?" Akio nodded and picked up Missa. She looked so small in his arms. We all followed him to the dining hall and once again, Ren was the first to react. He sent Michiyo and Mayu to heat up some soup, and then told Saruwatari to make a pillow using the tablecloth. Once all of this was finished, Akio laid Missa down and Ren began to feed her the soup. After she had swallowed a few spoon fulls, Missa opened her eyes.

"I-Isoya?" She said weakly. "Where's... Isoya?" Saruwatari rushed over to her and placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

"You need to rest Missa." He said. Since she must have been too weak to argue, Missa closed her eyes. Ren placed down the bowl and spoon and turned to Akio again.

"Could you carry her too her room now?" He asked. Once again, Akio nodded and lifted the small girl. After a quick nod, Ren turned to Asami.

"Could you keep an eye on her?" He asked. Asami nodded and followed Akio out the door.

"Alright then." Ren said. "There's nothing else we can do now. Everyone get some rest."

We all did what we were told, heading to our rooms. I felt sad that we had lost Isoya. He had saved both Missa and the rest of us. We were living because he was willing to pay the ultimate price. For some reason I couldn't cry. Was it from relief? Or maybe I was just happy that Missa was back with us. So much had happened since the incident that morning and my head began to spin just thinking about all of it. I felt dizzy after a while, but eventually sleep overtook me.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Once again, I woke up early. Without even waiting for the morning announcement I headed to the dining hall. Surprisingly (or perhaps not so), Missa and Asami were already there. I sat down with them. Asami looked up when she heard me, but Missa didn't react.

"Is Missa okay?" I asked. Asami shook her head.

"Ren and I told her what happened and she's been in a daze since."

"Ren?" I asked, looking around. The three of us were the only ones in the room. Asami gestured to the kitchen.

"He's in there, getting some food for Missa." She explained. I nodded to show that I understood and turned to Missa.

"Hey Missa." I said gently. "Are you doing okay?"

She didn't respond. Her eyes were red and swollen and she was hunched over. She was holding her arms over her chest, the nails digging into the opposite arms. I wasn't going to get anything from her in that state, so I turned back to Asami.

"You get some sleep Asami." I said. "You look like you didn't get any." Asami shrugged.

"I've gotten used to feeling tired at this point." She said. "But thanks."

She left the room and Missa and I sat in silence. After a bit, Missa finally spoke.

"It's my fault..." She said. Her voice sounded rough from lack of use.

"Missa?!" I exclaimed, desperate to get any kind of a response from her. "What's your fault?"

"All of this." She answered. "Nori, Isoya, they're gone because of me."

Did she really think that? Was that why she was so quiet?

"No! That's wrong!" I said. "It's Monokuma's fault, Missa! Not yours!"

Missa wouldn't listen. Or maybe she didn't even hear me in her dazed state.

"The whole time I was in there... I was terrified." She said. "It couldn't stop thinking about the kidnapping. But I kept telling myself that Isoya would get me out. He would save me. I didn't know that he would save me by... by..."

She began to cry. I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. The same way Kinji had to comfort me. Missa turned her head and cried into my shoulder. I had no idea what I should say. Luckily, I didn't have to speak.

"If you keep crying you're going to get dehydrated again." Ren said. I hadn't noticed him come in. This time, Missa did react, turning her head in his direction. Seeing that we had heard him, Ren continued.

"You can't blame yourself for this Missa." He said. "I know for a fact that Isoya didn't save you so you could while away in self pity."

I felt the urge to stop him, but I realized he was right so I stayed quiet. If things got bad, then I'd step in.

"By killing Nori, Isoya didn't save just you, he saved all of us." Ren continued. "In other words, we are all just as much to blame for his death as you. So if you want to spend your days crying and hating yourself, I'm afraid I can't allow that. Isoya didn't die so you could sit around wallowing in despair. He died to give you hope. He wanted his execution to be the last, and he wanted all of us to get out of here. So stop crying, pick yourself up, and accept the hope he was trying to give you."

Missa stared at Ren silently.

She managed to say "Ren... I..." before bursting into tears again. Only this time, she was smiling.

"No happy tears either okay?" Ren said. "Save those for when we get out. Now, are you going to eat this or not?" He held up the plate of food in his hands Missa nodded and he handed it over. Once Missa was eating, I smiled at Ren. It was very nice of him to help Missa out like that. He noticed the gesture and looked away, his cheeks red. Probably to hide this, he went back into the kitchen. After he had left, everyone began entering the dining hall. Mayu noticed Missa crying and rushed over.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Missa nodded.

"I think I'm going to be." She replied.

We all ate breakfast, and then headed over to the train station to investigate the new area. This time, no one stayed behind. The train rattled on the tracks as we passed through each of the areas. Each time we passed through one of the tunnels, my eyes had to readjust to the blinding light that followed. Eventually, we reached the tunnel that led to the new area. What was it going to be? Despite the fact it was a reward for killing Isoya, I couldn't help but be curious. Would this be the time that we found a way out?

The newest area seemed similar to the second, though the buildings were larger and more recreational themed. Mayu split us up into groups and we each went off to investigate.

"So a movie theatre huh?" Mayu asked. We had been assigned the theatre, which was at the very tip of the triangular area. It seemed like a normal theatre, with popcorn machines, dim lighting and red carpet. Though it also felt weird that it was completely empty. We looked at the movies playing.

"The Wizard of Monomi, The Monotrix, Bear of Despair." I read. "They're all Monokuma themed."

I guess that meant we wouldn't be spending much time in the theatre. Mayu looked more disappointed than I felt though. Not being able to find anything else, we headed back to the dining hall to wait for the others. It wasn't long before we were all together again.

"So, the movie theatre is pretty much useless." Mayu said. "There's no good quality movies playing." Sota sighed.

"Aw man." He said. "I was looking forward to watching movies again. I miss stuff like that." We all nodded. It really was a shame that the theatre was completely meaningless.

"Oh right!" Sota continues. "Michiyo and I found a CTS lab. It's kind of out of place, but I suppose it's better than nothing.

"What's a CTS lab?" Akio asked.

"It's like a kitchen." Michiyo said. "But there can be other stuff there too."

It didn't make sense to have that there. We already had a kitchen here in the dining hall. And why would it look like a CTS lab instead of just a kitchen? Saruwatari shrugged.

"Well, the area isn't _completely_ useless." He said. "Koharu and I found a roller skating rink, so that could be fun."

"And there's also a concert hall." Asami added. "With a big piano on the stage!"

A piano? Maybe Missa could play it. Perhaps having an instrument would help keep her distracted.

"I found a bar." Akio said. "But there's no alcohol or anything. Just juice and stuff like that." Ren nodded.

"Makes sense." He said. "We're under the legal drinking age after all." He fixed his glasses before continuing. "There was also a rec room attached to the bar, with this-" He held up a photo. "-On the floor."

This time the photo was of an extremely muscular girl. She had long white hair and quite a few scars. The sleeves of her uniform were also ripped. I would definitely not want to get on her bad side. Ren handed the photo to me.

"I've been trying to figure out a connection between the photos." He said. "But I haven't come up with anything. So could you hold onto this one as well?" I nodded, taking the photo from him. Mayu clapped her hands together.

"So that's it then." She said. "No way out here either." Sota shook his head.

"I guess not." He said. "But there's some other cool stuff. Like the piano!" He turned to Missa. "Do you think you could play it Missa?" He asked. Missa nodded.

"I should be able to." She said quietly. "I just wish Isoya was here to hear it." She was silent for a moment, most likely thinking about him.

"I could play some songs for all of you." She offered. We said yes. Who would turn down a chance to hear the Ultimate Pianist play? We all headed towards the concert hall. On the way, I walked next to Missa.

"Are you sure you're up for a performance?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'm going to start trying my best to help in any way I can." She said. "If that means just playing songs for everyone, then that's what I'll do."

She must have still felt really guilty about what had happened with Nori and Isoya. If this would help her cope with it, then I wasn't going to interfere.

We made it to the concert hall and sat in the first few rows of seats. Missa took her place on stage and prepared to play. I wondered what it was going to sound like. I had never been to an instrumental concert before, so I didn't know what to expect. After a bit, Missa began to play.

Her fingers flew across the keys with ease. It almost seemed like they were dancing from note to note. The song that she played was so beautiful. So, otherworldly. It made me feel as if I was weightless. That nothing that we had suffered through was real. I had separated from this world into somewhere different.

Somewhere safe.

Without realizing it, I had closed my eyes. I opened them again to see the others' reactions. Mayu was smiling.

"This would be the perfect theme for a fantasy movie. She whispered to herself. "In the final scene, where the heroes ride off into the sunset."

She always had movies on the brain, didn't she. I turned my head the other way and saw that Asami was tearing up.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly. She nodded.

"I'm fine." She said. "The music is just so beautiful and... for some reason it makes me think of home."

Home. It had been so long since I had seen my own. I wondered how my parents were doing. Were they worried? Were they looking for me? Did they give up on me? I wasn't sure how long I had been stuck in this city, but it felt like an eternity. And if Monokuma really had stolen three years of memories from us, then what happened to my parents? My home? My life?

No. I couldn't think of stuff like that. If there weren't going to be any more murders, then I needed to be ready to stay in here. I needed to be able to leave all of that behind.

Missa's finished, and the silence snapped me from my thoughts. I clapped along with the others.

"Encore! Encore!"

The people shouting were Sota, Asami and Mayu. No surprise there. Smiling, I joined in the chant. Soon, everyone was chanting and Missa began another song, just as beautiful as the first.

Once again, I felt hopeful that we could get through this.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Gooooood morning everyone. It is now seven AM and night time is officially over. Please make your way to the gymnasium ASAP."

Wait. That wasn't how it went. Why was Monokuma calling us to the gym? Instantly awake, I got out of bed and headed to the gym. It didn't take long for everyone to gather. It took even less time for Monokuma to arrive after.

"Thank you all for waiting!" Monokuma said cheerfully. "Now, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the pattern that I've noticed. It seems that after a class trial, you all become happy again and you get along with each other. I know for a fact that you kids won't do anything until I give you some motivation so... I'm just going to save time and do the motivation today!"

What was he talking about!? This really was all just some game to him, wasn't it? This wasn't about saving time. It was about destroying the hope we had begun to feel.

"Can't you give us a break!?" Mayu asked. "It's only been a day since..." She paused, seeming to choke on the words. "Since Isoya..." Monokuma shook his head. He had a sinister gleam in his eyes.

"I'm just trying to save time!" He said innocently. "You should be thanking me! Now you don't have to waste your time having meaningless conversations, and developing character."

"We aren't developing character." Asami argued. "We're getting to know each other. We're not fictional characters."

That went without saying didn't it? I mean, how in the world could we be fictional characters? Monokuma just laughed at her argument.

"But what if you are?" He asked. "What if everything you know, this whole world is actually just something being imagined by a teenage girl with too much time on her hands?"

That had to be the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. Apparently Ren agreed.

"Stop being an idiot and just give us the motive already." He snapped. "You said you're trying to save time, so stop wasting it." Monokuma instantly became serious. Or as close as the idiotic bear could.

"Alrighty then! This time..." He held up some envelopes with names written on them. "I have an envelope with a picture in it for you! The quality is really great! It will be like you're really there."

"Really where?" Asami asked.

"You've got to open them and find out! Puhuhu!"

Monokuma tossed the envelopes into the air. We all looked around for our own. Monokuma must have left while we were doing this, since I didn't see him when I looked up again. Ignoring his absence, I opened the envelope. I would have kept it closed, but ignoring the motive didn't help last time. Inside was a photo of my family and I. We were smiling and waving at the camera. I remembered taking the photograph. It had been my six birthday and we had just finished eating the cake. Everyone looked so happy, and I felt warm tears beginning to flow down my cheeks as I remembered them. How could I have thought that I'd be able to leave all of them behind? I couldn't stay here forever. Not with all of them waiting for me to come home. I had to get ou-

Wait. This is what Monokuma wanted to happen. He wanted us to think about the outside world. About the things we loved. I wasn't going to fall for his trick. I put the photo in my pocket. I'd throw it out later. Ren did the same thing. As I walked over to him, I noticed he was wiping away a tear.

"Are you okay Ren?" I asked. He nodded, but didn't say anything.

"What was in your picture?"

"It doesn't matter." Ren replied. He sounded serious. "If we're going to be staying here, then we need to be able to forget about our lives out there. This is our new life."

That's what I had been thinking of during Missa's concert, but... would we really be able to forget our lives from before. Eventually someone would snap right? It's not easy to forget your past. Though I suppose that Monokuma _did_ steal our memories. This all would have been easier if we couldn't remember anything at all. If this city was all we knew.

"Are you going to be throwing out the picture?" I asked.

"Yes. I will." Ren answered. It seemed like the conversation was finished, so I walked away. Everyone seemed like they were about to cry. None of us said anything, and eventually we all just dispersed.

That night, I laid in bed for a while. I missed my family. My friends. I even missed my homework. I had taken everything in my life for granted. I could see that now.

Tears formed in my eyes as I took the photo out of my pocket. Why couldn't things go back to the way they had been? Why was I stuck in here? Why did this have to happen to me? I found myself desperately wishing to escape and get back home. But... I couldn't sacrifice the lives of my friends to win my freedom.

I tore up the photo, realizing that I had begun to fall into Monokuma's trap again. After throwing it into the garbage, I fell into a restless sleep.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Good morning Koharu." I said, as I sat down at the table. Koharu nodded and smiled. She didn't seem to be phased by the motive. Asami and Missa joined us and we began to eat. Asami was the first to finish, pushing her plate away with a satisfied sigh.

"So what was in your photos?" She asked afterwards. She was probably trying to break the silence, but the question had come out of nowhere.

"Mine was my piano teacher." Missa shared. "I've known her for so long, she's like a second mother."

"Mine was a picture my sixth birthday." I said. "My whole family was there."

"And mine was just a photo of me talking to my friends." Koharu said. No doubt, the 'friends' were the hallucinations.

"I see." Asami said. "Mine was a picture of the basket ball team. I really miss them."

"You should get rid of the pictures." Ren said, causing the four of us to jump. None of us had seen or heard him walk over. I mentally hit myself once I realized I had started to fall for the trap again. However, the others still seemed confused.

"Monokuma is trying to get us to think about the outside world." Ren explained. "He wants us to kill so we can get back to what's important to us. Get back to what's in the pictures."

"But would someone really kill over something like that?" Missa asked. Koharu shrugged.

"They might if they have something really important waiting for them outside." She said. Missa frowned, realizing that the artist was right.

"There is nothing in this world more important than the life of your friends." She said. "Isoya said that to me." Asami nodded.

"Well, Isoya knew what he was talking about." She said. "I know that I'm not going to be killing anyone."

I wasn't going to be either. Isoya had told us to let his execution to be the last, and that was going to happen.

We finished eating and stood up to leave, but were stopped by Mayu's (incredibly loud) voice.

"So, I realize that everyone is probably thinking about the outside world right now, and I think that's a problem." She said. She was standing on top of a chair, and had everyone's attention. "If we think about what's waiting for us, then someone might do something drastic to get to it. So I think we need to become closer as friends so that the things that are important to us are the people here. Then the pictures will be meaningless!"

"And how do you propose we do that?" Michiyo asked. Mayu smiled. It had a strange mixture of innocence and sneakiness behind it. What was she planning?

"Well, I was thinking that we could have a potluck type thing!" She said. "We haven't really done anything as a group, so it could be fun!"

The sneakiness was gone now. She must have been trying to create suspense. Honestly, a potluck sounded like fun! I had never been a fan of big, busy events, but perhaps it would be better since I would know everyone there. Saruwatari seemed to support it as well. But for different reasons.

"Not to mention everyone would be together," He said. "So no one could kill someone even if they wanted to."

"Awesome!" Sota exclaimed. "That sounds perfect!" Asami clapped her hands together.

"We could all cook together too!" She suggested. "There is a kitchen after all."Michiyo shook her head.

"The kitchen is way too small." She said, in her usual monotonous voice. "You could probably only fit about six people depending on what everyone is cooking."

That was disappointing. I had been starting to get excited about all of this. There had to be a way to fix this setback.

"Wait!" I said. "There's a kitchen in the CTS lab in the fourth area right? There are six girls and four guys, so we could split up based on gender." Akio shrugged.

"That sounds good." He said. "I wouldn't wanna be near a bunch of girls anyways."

"You'd rather be in a hot kitchen with a bunch of guys?" Sota asked. Once again, Akio shrugged.

"Alright then!" Mayu said, stepping down from her chair. "The girls will get this kitchen, so guys, you can go to the other one. Come on ladies! Let's get cooking!" She started heading over to the kitchen.

"Right now?" Missa asked. Mayu nodded, grabbing the pianist's hand.

"Of course!" She said cheerfully. "The sooner the better!" The two of them disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the rest of us behind. After a moment, we all headed to our designated kitchens. After all, we had no choice. Once Mayu decided to do something, it was near impossible to get her to stop.

Inside the kitchen, we all started cooking our favourite dishes. I wasn't sure what to make, since I usually just made microwaveable dishes at home. I decided to just make a salad since it would be pretty easy to make.

Michiyo seemed to be very focused on her baking. It was impossible to follow what she was doing, but it looked like she was making a fruit cake. Mayu was making cookies, but at the same time seemed to be getting distracted a lot. Koharu's mashed potatoes had some... questionable ingredients, but Asami's punch looked absolutely delicious. I couldn't wait to try Missa's fudge too.

"So." Asami said after a while. "Let's try actually talking! It's so quiet and serious in here."

"Okay." I said. "What should we talk about?"

"Well..." Koharu said, before a long pause. "Erza and I have always wanted to try talking about boys. We never really have the chance to do that with other girls."

Erza? Oh, right. That was one of her friends. Asami smiled.

"Then I guess the topic is boys!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "Who do you all think is the most attractive boy in the city?"

"Um... I think Isoya was." Missa said. "But... Ren is attractive as well."

She really did seem like she was coming to terms with what had happened. Perhaps Ren's words had helped. Asami nodded.

"Honestly, I'd say Akio." She admitted. "If he wasn't such a jerk." Michiyo sighed.

"He's an idiot, and looks like one too." She said, before turning back to her cooking.

"Sota is pretty cute." Mayu said. She had been moving around a lot, and I jumped as I heard her voice behind me.

"What about you Yui?" Asami asked. I guess I was the only one left.

"Um.." I thought about the guys that were here. Akio was muscular and all, but not really my type. Sota was cute, but more like a younger brother kind of cute. Saruwatari was definitely attractive, but...

"I'd say Ren." I answered. Asami smiled.

"Somehow I knew you'd say that." She said. Missa nodded.

"You two seem very close."

"What?" I asked. "We just talk a lot! We don't... I mean I don't."

I felt my cheeks growing warm. No doubt I was as red as Asami's punch. After the others had stopped giggling, we all talked a bit more. About boys, and our dishes, and other things. Eventually we had all finished.

"Hey Yui." Michiyo said. "Could you go get the boys?" I nodded and headed out. I was glad that Mayu had suggested we do this. It really was bringing us all closer. I couldn't help but smile as I rode the train over to the fourth area.

Coincidentally, the boys were just finishing up when I got there. They all followed me to the train station. Ren had maid a deli platter with cheese, Akio made nachos, Saruwatari had made some tortilla pizzas and Sota made tomato soup. The soup was a bit heavy, so I helped Sota carry it. On the train, I was worried it would spill, but there were luckily no accidents.

As we sat and waited for the train to reach the first area, I noticed that Akio kept looking at Ren. Ren shifted his weight. Obviously, he had noticed as well. I moved over to sit next to him.

"Did something happen between you and Akio?" I asked in a hushed voice. Ren shook his head.

"No. He's been looking at me like that since we first talked to each other." Ren replied in the same hushed tone. "It's started to creep me out, but when I confront him about it, he dodges my questions."

"I can see if I can help." I offered. "After the potluck of course." Ren nodded, seemingly grateful for the offer. I moved back to my original seat and Saruwatari turned to face me.

"So what did you make Yui?" He asked.

"A salad." I answered. Akio scoffed.

"That's a boring dish."

"I happen to like salad." Sota argued.

Luckily, we reached the stop before the discussion was able to become an argument. We all headed to the dining hall, probably slower than necessary thanks to Sota's soup.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Inside the dining hall the girls had pushed together all the tables, creating one large one. There were also table cloths all along it. The boys and I stood in awe at the hall's transformation. How had they done all of that in such a short time?

"Where did you get the table cloths?" Saruwatari asked.

"They're actually some extra bed sheets." Asami answered. "It was Missa's idea." Missa's cheeks went red.

"I wanted it to feel more like a party." She explained. We placed the dishes next to the ones already on the table before sitting down. It seemed like someone had already brought my salad out, and Asami had already poured a glass of punch for everyone. Akio held his glass in his hand.

"Don't people usually give a toast at these sort of things?" He asked. Koharu gestured to Mayu.

"Well, it was Mayu's idea." She said. "So how about she does it?" Mayu quickly shook her head.

"Me? Nah, I'm not very good at improvising." She said. "I work behind the camera for a reason."

"How about Yui?" Ren suggested.

Huh?

"Yeah! Yui can do the toast!" Asami exclaimed.

"Me?" I asked. "Um, I guess I can." I stood up and held up my glass. That's how these things usually started right? I felt really nervous.

"Well, I suppose there are a lot of things we could toast to." I began. "We could toast to the memory of those we've lost. We could toast to our old lives, or our new ones. We could even toast to this delicious meal everyone has made together." I gestured to the dishes on the table. Everyone smiled. "But, I think that we should toast to the reason we're having this potluck in the first place." I continued. "Our friendship. Monokuma said that before we were here, we were all classmates at Hopes Peak Academy. He stole those memories from us, but in doing so he gave us an opportunity to meet each other again. He gave us a fresh start. I'm glad he did that, because even if there have been hard times along the way, I've enjoyed meeting all of you here. We went from classmates, to strangers, to friends, or if you ignore how cheesy it sounds, we've become a family. So, I guess I'll toast to that. To our family."

Everyone raised their glasses.

"To our family!" They cheered together. I sat down, my cheeks flushed with colour.

"That was an awesome speech Yui!" Mayu complimented. "You're a natural!"

Somehow my cheeks reddened even more as I thanked her. Oblivious to this, Mayu turned to everyone.

"Now that we've done a toast, let's eat!" She said. Immediately, everyone began to dig in. While they did this, I turned to Ren and nudged him with my elbow. Probably more forcefully than necessary. He turned towards me.

"What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his arm.

"Why did you say that I should do the speech?" I asked. "You put me on the spot!" Ren shrugged.

"Whether you know it or not, you're good with words." He explained. "Not to mention, you always speak from your heart, so I thought you would be the best person to do it." He smiled and turned back to his plate.

"Oh! I, um... thanks." I said. Completely flustered. I hadn't realized that he thought that. "But you still completely put me on the spot. Next time talk to me first." I noticed him smiling.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked.

"When you hit me with your elbow, it reminded me of Kinji." Ren replied. "He used to do that all the time."

Ren seemed to be lost in thought. I thought back to how he had been at the beginning of all of this. He had been asocial, rude and didn't seem to care for any of us. Now he was much more open to everyone. It was amazing how much someone could change in such a short amount of time. I decided to leave him be and turned back to the food in front of me. I grabbed a slice of pizza from Saruwatari's dish, and some of the salad I had made. Next, my eyes wandered over to Koharu's... questionable mashed potatoes.

"Are you going to take some Yui?" Koharu asked. I stared at the multicoloured potatoes.

"I would love to, but... I'm not a big fan of potatoes." I said. Koharu nodded.

"Yeah. Me neither." She said. "It's just the only thing I know how to make."

The artist turned back to her own plate, easting some of the nachos she had taken. Looking around some more, I saw Michiyo's fruit cake. Only one person had taken a slice. Michiyo must not have been very happy about that. It was probably just because no one there was a fan of fruitcake. I took a cookie instead and took a bite, before immediately spitting it out again. It was completely burnt!

"Yeah..." Sota said. "All the cookies are burnt to a crisp." I was about to reply, but was cut off by the sound off coughing next to me. On the other side of Ren, Asami was clutching at her throat.

"Is she choking!?" Mayu asked, the panic obvious in her voice. As if to answer her question, Asami's mouth began to foam.

"That doesn't usually happen with choking." The atmosphere changed instantly, and I felt the urge to help Asami. But I couldn't move. My muscles were frozen stiff from fear. I saw Ren's face go pale.

"She's been poisoned!" He exclaimed.

And Asami's body went limp.

It all happened so quickly that none of us had time to react. One second Asami was smiling and talking, and then the next second she was... she was dead. Saruwatari ran over to her to check her pulse, but was cut off by the monitor turning on.

"A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time has passed, a class trial will be held. Please use your time effectively."

There was no need to check her pulse. Asami had just died in front of us. Not even a metre away from where I was sitting. Isoya hadn't been the last.

"Everyone step away from the table!" Ren shouted. Startled, we all did as we were told.

"Why do we have to move away?" Akio asked.

"If Asami is dead," Ren explained. "Then this is now a crime scene." Mayu was shaking as she stared at Asami's body.

"W-Who's dish was poisoned?" She asked. Ren looked at Asami's fork.

"It seems like she was eating the mashed potatoes." He said. I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized I had come close to eating that dish.

"Isn't that Koharu's dish?" Missa asked. Her voice shaking as much as Mayu's body.

"Yep." Koharu answered. Akio turned to face her.

"Then Koharu poisoned Asami?" He asked with an accusing undertone.

"Nope." Koharu replied. Sota had tears forming in his eyes as he turned to the artist as well.

"You're just lying!" He shouted. "Asami died when she ate your dish so it has to be you!" Ren held up his hands to silence everyone.

"We wont know if she's guilty or not until we've investigated." He said. It seemed like _he_ agreed as well.

"He's right!" Monokuma said cheerfully. "So get your butts in gear! The Class Trial will be happening soon!"

We were all startled by Monokuma's appearance, but not surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Michiyo asked bitterly.

"You mean besides gracing you with my presence?" Monokuma asked. I'm here to give you the Monokuma File!"

He pressed some buttons on a device and our E-Handbooks beeped to announce the file delivery. Monokuma left and Saruwatari opened the file and began to read it aloud.

"Victim, Asami Tanno. Cause of death, ingested poison. Time of death, 4:36. No external injuries were found."

He sighed, before putting down the file.

"If the cause of death was poisoning, I can't really perform an autopsy." He said. "I'll watch the crime scene here with Koharu instead." Mayu shook her head.

"But if she's the killer, won't she mess around with the crime scene?" She asked. This time, Saruwatari shook his head.

"That's why I'm watching too." He explained.

"We'll also need to investigate the kitchen." Ren said. "That's where the poison was put into the dish, so there may be evidence there."

"Which kitchen?" Mayu asked.

"Both." Ren answered. "But we need to make sure a girl investigates the boy's kitchen and vice versa. That will ensure that the killer can't interfere with the evidence."

"I'll go to the boy's kitchen with Mayu if that's okay with our _fearless leader_." Michiyo offered. There was a hint of sarcasm on the "fearless leader." part. Ren was seemingly unfazed by this.

"I'm not trying to be your leader." He said calmly. "I'm just trying to make sure this is done in an organized manner."

"Yeah, we understand." Mayu said as she grabbed Michiyo's hand. "Come on Michiyo. I really need to get away from the body." The two of them left and Sota put up his hand.

"Akio and I can investigate the kitchen." He offered. Akio shook his head.

"No way." He said. "I'm not leaving Koharu at the crime scene. I still don't trust her." Ren sighed.

"Saruwatari is watching her, and I'll be here as well. So go to the kitchen Akio." He said. Akio stared at Ren silently for a moment.

"Okay." He said after a bit, and then he followed Sota to the kitchen.

"Um, what do you want me to do Ren?" Missa asked.

"You can investigate the kitchen with Sota and Akio." Ren suggested. "That way you don't have to be near the body." Missa nodded slowly and headed to the kitchen.

Then that left Ren and I to investigate the dining hall. I headed over to the body. It wasn't effecting me as much as all the others had. Was I really getting used to seeing corpses? Trying my hardest to avoid looking at the body, I looked at the plate. Asami had taken food from three different dishes. She was the only one who took a slice of fruit cake, and any of Koharu's mashed potatoes. She also had one of Mayu's cookies it almost looked like charcoal. Based on her fork, you could see that the last thing she had eaten was the potatoes. A bite had also been taken out of the fruit cake.

"How could someone burn a dish so badly?" Ren asked, looking at Mayu's cookies. I looked over and saw that all of Mayu's cookies were burnt to a crisp. Was that because she had been moving around so much when she was cooking? Or maybe she was just a really bad cook.

I decided to look at the other dishes that Asami took from. The potatoes were the most suspicious, but a bite had also been taken out of the fruit cake. I moved over and picket up the knife.

"Do you mind if I cut the cake Ren?" I asked. Ren shrugged.

"Asami took a slice of it, so I see no reason to not investigate it."

Nodding, I slid the knife into the cake. The batter was still moist and I felt bad for not taking a slice before. It really did look delicious. It was also made by the Ultimate baker of all people. As I thought about this, the knife hit something hard. I stopped putting pressure on the blade.

"Did you find something?" Ren asked, walking over.

"Maybe." I replied. I used my hands to break away the cake around whatever the knife had hit. There, stuck in the dough, was a plastic bottle. I pulled it out and looked at the label. It as pretty faded, but I could still make out the word poison.

"There are bottles like that at the pharmacy right? Ren asked. I shrugged. I had never been to the pharmacy. Either way, it was a bottle of poison.

"Well, it's either Koharu trying to frame Michiyo." I said. "Or Michiyo trying to frame Koharu."

"Or someone trying to frame both of them." Ren added. I figured it would be best to keep the bottle a secret until we knew more about the case. I heard the monitor turn on, and we both turned to look at it.

"Ahem." Monokuma said. "I think it's about time we get this thing started so... make your way to the red door I guess."

The screen went black. Monokuma wasn't even trying to hide his boredom. Shrugging, we headed to the red door. Once were there, I walked over to Mayu.

"Did you guys find anything?" I asked. Mayu shook her head.

"Not a single thing." She said. "The kitchen was a mess from the boys using it, but there was nothing weird there."

I nodded. Did that mean that the boys were innocent? Or was the killer just good at not leaving evidence? I headed over to Missa and asked her the same question. Like Mayu, she shook her head.

"No. The kitchen looked just like we left it." She said. I could see a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Did something happen?" I asked. It wasn't like Missa to smile before a class trial. Missa shook her head.

"I was just thinking that it was nice of Ren to let me investigate the kitchen." She explained. "Ren is actually really nice. Not nice like Isoya, but nice in his own way."

The conversation was cut short by the sound of the large red door opening. We all stepped into the elevator and the doors slammed shut behind us. The elevator roared to life and began the descent.

Isoya hadn't been the last death. Asami had died right in front of us and we did nothing to stop it. Could we have done anything? Or had it been hopeless from the moment she ate Koharu's dish? I placed my hand on the bottle in my pocket. Who was the killer? Koharu? Michiyo? Or someone else entirely?

If we couldn't figure that out, then we would never go up this elevator again.

The killer was one of us, and the only way we could avoid sharing Asami's fate would be finding the culprit. As I thought about this the elevator came to a halt, and the trial, a battle between hope and despair, began.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial." Monokuma began. "The result of the trial is determined by your own votes. If the correct culprit is-"

"We already know who the culprit is." Akio interrupted. "It's Koharu." Koharu shook her head.

"Nope. Not me." She said simply.

"It was your dish that killed her!" Akio argued. How could it not be you?"

"Because it wasn't." Koharu answered. I nodded.

"I agree with Koharu." I said. "There are other suspects." Monokuma realized we were ignoring him again, and he slumped onto his throne. I honestly didn't care if his feelings were hurt. Sota tilted his head to the side.

"Really?" He asked. "Who?" I took the bottle out of my pocket, holding it out for everyone to see.

"Ren and I found this bottle of poison inside Michiyo's fruit cake." I said. Michiyo's jaw dropped.

"You found, what? In _my_ cake?" She asked. Ren fixed his glasses before answering.

"A bottle of poison." He repeated. "Which means it's possible that you are the killer and you tried to frame Koharu." Michiyo shook her head, looking positively furious.

"I would never ruin my baking by putting a bottle in the batter." She snapped. "Someone must be trying to frame me." Mayu shook her head.

"Are you really trying to say that someone framed both you and Koharu?" She asked.

"Yes!" Michiyo snapped back. "Because that's the only way this makes any sense." Missa put her hand up.

"She's right." She agreed. "It only makes sense if they're both being framed." Sota tapped his fingers as he tried to figure all of this out.

"What do you mean?" He asked, giving up.

"Well." Missa began. "If Koharu was the killer, then why would she put the poison in her own dish?" Akio pointed at Michiyo.

"Then it's Michiyo!" He accused. "She tried to frame Koharu!" Saruwatari shook his head.

"That's not right either." He argued. "If it was Michiyo, then why would she hide the bottle in her own dish? Especially one that everyone was going to be eating. She might as well hold up a big sign saying she's the killer." Akio groaned, holding his head in his hands.

"Then who was it?"

"Well, considering both of the dishes related to the murder are from the girl's kitchen." Ren said. "Then the killer is probably a girl."

"Of course it's a girl." Akio grumbled. Mayu sighed.

"Now isn't the time for sexist comments Akio." She said.

"But if we've already decided that it doesn't make sense for Koharu and Michiyo to be the killers." Saruwatari said, continuing Ren's train of thought. "Then that leaves Missa, Mayu and Yui."

Me? But I wasn't the culprit. And I couldn't see Mayu or Missa killing anyone. Were we missing something? While I thought about this, Ren began to speak again.

"Well, the killer made a mistake by hiding the bottle in Michiyo's cake." He said. "As soon as someone cut the cake, we would have found that bottle and known that one of the dishes was poisoned. Their plan would have failed."

That was true. I had found the bottle easily when I had cut the cake earlier. So...

"They would have to get to the cake before anyone else and get the bottle." I said.

"Then who ate the cake?" Missa asked. The room was silent as everyone thought back to what they had eaten. Koharu was the first to answer.

"The only one who took a piece was Asami." She said. This seemed to offend Michiyo.

"Really?" She asked. "Only one person ate my dish?"

Did she really expect teenagers to choose fruit cake over nachos and pizza?

"Did anyone else go near the cake?" Ren asked. Sota put up his hand.

"Actually, I saw someone." He admitted.

"Who?" Michiyo asked. She seemed more calm now that she knew someone besides Asami had been interested in her cake. Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Sota continued.

"During the body discovery announcement," he began. "I saw Mayu grab the knife for the cake. She was about to cut into it when Ren told everyone to step back."

"Why didn't you say that sooner?" Michiyo asked, seemingly relieved. I feel like she had something other than the case on her mind.

"It sorta just slipped my mind, okay?" Sota said.

Despite Sota's bad memory, we finally had some new information to work with. Mayu had tried to cut the cake, and she had to have a reason.

"Mayu?" I said. "Why were you trying to get some cake after you had just seen your friend die?" Mayu's gaze shifted to the floor.

"I saw that Asami had taken a bite out of the cake, so I thought it was the source of the poison." She explained. Saruwatari shook his head.

"But that doesn't explain what you did." He argued. "Cutting the cake wouldn't prove that at all."

"It seems more like you were trying to get to the bottle before anyone could notice." Ren accused. Mayu seemed absolutely furious.

"So I'm suspicious just because I tried to cut a cake?" She asked.

She had a point. What if she was telling the truth? Was there anything else that made her suspicious?

"Not just that." I said. "Your dish also makes you seem suspicious." Mayu seemed more confused than angry after my comment, but was still angry nonetheless.

"How do my cookies make me suspicious!?" She asked.

"Well, every single one of your cookies were burnt to a crisp." I explained.

"So I'm a bad cook." Mayu interrupted. "That doesn't mean I killed Asami!"

"I can understand your cookies being a bit burnt if you weren't paying attention." I argued. "But for someone to burn their food this badly, they would have had to forget about it completely."

"Oh! I see!" Saruwatari exclaimed. "You're saying that Mayu's cookies burned because she was too busy framing Koharu and Michiyo to take them out of the oven?" I nodded.

"That's what I think at least." Mayu was silent. Were we right? Had we cornered her?

"Am I right?" I asked. Mayu didn't respond. Her eyes were still turned to the floor. After a moment, her head shot up.

"You guys seem to be overlooking something." She said. Missa tilted her head to the side.

"We're overlooking something?" She asked. Mayu nodded.

"Well, you're saying that Michiyo can't be the killer because she wouldn't put the bottle in her own dish?" Mayu asked.

"Yeah!" Sota answered. "It wouldn't make any sense." Mayu smiled. It had a mix of innocence and sneakiness.

"What if she's trying to trick you?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Akio said.

"What if she thought you guys would think that, so she put it into her dish on purpose?" Mayu suggested. "She was hiding her guilt in plain sight!" Michiyo's previously quelled anger was awoken again.

"Don't be an idiot!" She shouted. "I'd never put something like that into one of my dishes. It would be an insult to the dish itself." Mayu started pointing at Michiyo frantically, looking at each of us as she spoke.

"See!? See!?" She shouted. "She's still trying to trick all of us! She's using reverse psychology!" Now her finger was directed at Asami's old podium. There was only a photo of the basket ball player there now.

"And I bet it was her dish that killed Asami too!" Mayu accused. Ren shook his head.

"It was the potatoes that were poisoned." He stated. "They were the last thing Asami ate."

"But what if it was actually in the cake!?" Mayu asked. "She took a bite out of that too!" She was starting to panic. That much was obvious.

"But she didn't start choking until she ate the potatoes." Sota argued.

"There could have been a delay!" Mayu suggested. Ren sighed. I could tell that he was starting to get annoyed.

"This is ridiculous." He snapped. "And you're obviously just trying to lead us away from the truth. If you refuse to use your brain, then I'm going to have to prove you wrong in a different way."

"How are you going to do that?" Missa asked.

"It's simple." Ren replied. "If I eat the cake and don't die, then it was the potatoes that were poisoned." Saruwatari slammed his hands on the podium as he turned to the mathematician.

"Do you have a death wish Ren!?" He asked. "What if Mayu is right?" Ren maintained his composure.

"She isn't." He said simply. "We figured out that it was her, and now she's grasping for straws. If this cake isn't poisoned, and it won't be, then it proves that she was just lying to save her own skin." He turned to Monokuma who was watching this all excitedly.

"Monokuma? Could you please bring Michiyo's cake here?" He asked. Monokuma smiled.

"I already did while you were trying to act all high and mighty." He said. Ren held out his hand.

"In that case, could you give me a slice?" He asked. Monokuma did as he was told. He was chuckling as he returned to his throne.

You could have cut the suspense in the trial room with a knife. We all watched silently as Ren pulled off a piece of the cake with his fingers. He moved quickly, but it felt like an eternity as he moved the cake to his mouth. I felt my stomach tighten as I worried if Mayu was right. Ren chewed the piece and swallowed.

"There. See?" He said, opening his mouth so Mayu could see he swallowed. "It's not poisoned."

I sighed, feeling my muscles relax as I realized Ren was okay.

"So that means... Mayu was lying?" Sota asked. Ren nodded.

"Yes. It does." He said. "The fact that I'm still standing proves that." All eyes turned to Mayu as we waited for her response. She clenched her fist, her knuckles turning white.

"Damn it!" She said, slamming the fist on her podium. "Why did you have to do that Ren!?"

It was like I was staring at a completely different person.

"Mayu?" I said. She ignored me.

"I thought for sure I could get you guys to think it was Michiyo!" Mayu said with a twisted smile. She turned her gaze to Ren. "Why did you have to ruin my perfect ending!?" Koharu tilted her head to the side.

"So, you're the one who poisoned Asami?" She asked. Mayu laughed. It sent shivers down my spine. Was this really the cheery girl I had met in the classroom when this all started?

"Yeah." Mayu admitted. "I guess I can't really deny it now that mister 'I'm better than you' called my bluff." She had changed her tone to mock Ren. I looked over to him and saw that he was looking pale. No doubt he was just as shocked as I was at this new development. This new Mayu.

"So, you really did try to frame Koharu and Michiyo?" Akio asked. "Why?" Mayu turned her gaze to the carpenter. He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"I wanted to get out of here!" Mayu snapped. "I had been able to bottle up my feelings, but when Monokuma gave us those pictures, I... I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even now, all I can think is that need to get out!" Her eyes started to twitch and her body began to shake.

"I need to get out! I NEED TO GET OUT!" She began to scream as she ran to the trial room walls, slamming her fists and body against them.

"I CAN'T SPEND ANOTHER SECOND IN HERE! I NEED TO GET OUT!" Missa took a step towards the director, but stopped.

"Mayu..." She said quietly. Saruwatari put a hand on Missa's shoulder.

"It looks like she's having a mental breakdown." He explained. "She said she's been bottling up her feelings this whole time. Something probably snapped." Sota turned to Mayu who was still throwing herself at the walls.

"But why did you kill Asami?" He asked. "Why her?" Mayu slowly turned to Sota, a desperate fire in her eyes.

"I didn't care who died." She said. "I just needed to get out, so I came up with a plan. I got the poison from the pharmacy and suggested we all have this potluck, then I poured the poison into Koharu's dish. Unfortunately for me, I had nowhere to put the bottle. I couldn't keep it on me, for obvious reasons. So instead, I threw it into Michiyo's dish! My cookies burned while I did that. I planned to grab the bottle during the confusion of Asami's death, but Mr. Smarty Pants over here," She pointed at Ren. "Told us to step back."

She ran over to Ren, her hands aimed for his throat.

"This is all your fault Ren!" She screamed. "I wish you would just die! Just like Kinji!" Just before she reached Ren, who seemed too frightened or shocked to move, the chain wrapped around her neck. No doubt, Monokuma decided we could just skip the voting for this one. Mayu continued to scream, and claw at the chain as she was dragged away.

"I hope you all die! You're so selfish! Killing your friends to save your own skin! I hate all of you!"

She must have been panicking, not wanting to die. Her clawing became more desperate and I saw blood starting to flow.

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! SOMEBODY SAVE M-" She got cut off by the door slamming shut. I felt myself shaking from fear when the screen flickered on.

Mayu was strapped to a red carpet conveyor belt, moving slowly towards a large clapperboard guillotine. Monokuma paparazzi stood on either side, taking photos and cheering. Her arms and legs were bound, but she still thrashed about, trying to escape. There was a rhythmic, metallic slamming as the guillotine came down over and over again. As she came closer to the blade, Mayu stopped struggling and becoming completely still. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The blade slammed down one more time, and her head fell to the ground. The red blood soaking into the red carpet.

The screen went black and we were all silent. It seemed like she had somehow become the Mayu we had known and loved in the final seconds of her life. Or that's what I hoped had happened at least. I saw Koharu move over to Ren, who was doubled over and shaking, holding his head in his hands.

"There's no need to cry Ren." She reassured. "Mayu didn't mean what she said." Ren continued to shake. It seemed like he hadn't heard Koharu. I could see beads of sweat dripping from his brow onto his hands.

"Ren?" I said, moving closer to him. "Are you alright?"

Ren lifted his head. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot.

"I..."

He barely managed to say that one word before collapsing to the ground.

"REN!" I exclaimed, running over to him. He was unconscious and felt incredibly warm. What happened? Monokuma rushed over, moving me away from Ren.

"Not this again." He said, sounding annoyed. An ambulance burst from a door and drove up to Monokuma and Ren. Akio had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. Two Monokumas came out and carried Ren into the vehicle before driving back into the door they came from.

"So the cake _was_ poisoned?!" Missa asked. The fear was painfully obvious in her voice. Saruwatari shook his head.

"I don't think it was poisoned directly." He said. "He didn't have the same symptoms as Asami. I think that the poison left in the bottle leached into the cake, but it wasn't a lethal amount. Hopefully."

He had paused before saying the last part. I felt my body shaking. Partially because of Mayu's breakdown and execution, and partially because of Ren. But the main source of my fear, was what Monokuma had said.

He had said "again."

Nothing like this had happened before, so did that mean that someone else had gone through this scenario before us? And if that was the case, what had happened to them?

None of us knew what to do, and we sat there silently. Almost as if we expected the door that Ren had disappeared into to open again. Was he going to die? No... Monokuma wouldn't let that happen. Right?

"This is a public service announcement. It is now 10pm, and nighttime has officially begun. For your own safety, it is recommended that you stay indoors. Well then, good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!"

Monokuma's announcement snapped us from the daze we were in.

"But what about Ren?" I asked. "Is he okay?" The question wasn't really directed to anyone, but _he_ decided to answer anyways.

"He's in the medical centre." Monokuma said. "But you can't talk to him until tomorrow. So go to bed! Didn't you hear the announcement?"

Relieved that Ren was okay, we all headed to our rooms and I laid down on my bed. Now that I had calmed down though, I realized that the shock from the situation with Ren had distracted me from Mayu's execution. Now I couldn't get my mind off of it. We had lost another friend. Though... I had a feeling we had lost her long before her execution. Would that happen to the rest of us if we stayed here? Was that our fate?

I rolled over to my side and saw the photographs we had found.

Monokuma had said "again."

Perhaps we weren't the first ones to go through all of this. Putting two and two together, I realized that the people in the photos might have gone through all of this before us. In that case, what had happened to them? Had they escaped? Or had the game ended as planned?

Millions of questions rushed through my brain, but I couldn't come up with a single solution. Eventually, exhaustion overcame my curiosity and I fell asleep.


	26. Chapter 25

The next morning I rushed straight over to the medical office. I didn't care about meeting the others at the dining hall first. I just needed to know if Ren was alright. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was worried. Once I got there, I saw Sota, Missa, Saruwatari and Akio. They all looked exhausted and Akio looked exceptionally more tired than the rest. They were all standing or sitting near Ren's bed. The entire room was very white and there was miscellaneous medical equipment everywhere. I walked over and joined the group.

"How is Ren?" I asked.

"He hasn't woken up yet." Saruwatari said. "But Monokuma said he's stable."

That was a relief. I looked over at the boy on the bed. He was covered in sweat and looked like he was in pain. I quickly turned around when I heard the door open. The others looked over as well. Michiyo walked in, closing the door behind her.

"So this is where you all are." She said. "I was waiting in the dining hall for you guys."

"Sorry." Missa replied. "We were worried about Ren."

Michiyo nodded and leaned on the wall, eyeing Ren as she did. I couldn't tell if she was worried, but it didn't look like she didn't care.

"Well then." Saruwatari said. "We should probably take turns watching over him until he wakes up."

That sounded like a good idea. It would be better than all of us sitting in the room all day. Koharu took out some pencils.

"We can draw for it." She said. "Smallest pencil goes first and longest goes last."

We each drew a pencil. Whether my Ultimate Luck had a part to play or not, I got the smallest pencil.

"Guess that means you're first." Akio said. I nodded.

"Okay." I said. "You guys go eat. I'll tell you if he wakes up."

They all left and I sat down next to Ren's bed. The chair was still warm from Missa sitting there before. How long had they all been there before I got there? I looked over at Ren. His glasses were on the bedside table, and without them he looked exactly like Kinji. It had been so long since we had lost him. So much had happened. So much had changed.

"Where am I?" Ren asked weakly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Oh! Ren! You're in the medical centre." I answered. "You collapsed during the class trial." Ren was silent for a while before he replied. He was probably trying piece together what had happened.

"I see." He said.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. "Does it hurt?" I was probably more pushy than helpful, but I couldn't help but be worried. I thought about going to get the others, but was stopped before I even stood up by Ren's next words.

"We killed them. Didn't we?" He said.

"Killed who?"

"Kinji, Bessihiki, Isoya, Mayu. We sentenced them to death to save ourselves. Just like Mayu said."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What!?" I exclaimed. "Why are you talking like this? This isn't like you Ren!"

"I thought I was going to die." Ren said. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes again. "As I felt the pain in my stomach, I realized that I had been wrong. There was poison in the cake. I thought I was going to die, and that's when I realized that each of them had felt the same way when the chain wrapped around their neck. They knew they were going to die, and each time it was our fault."

I felt frightened as my mind jumped back to Mayu the day before. Now Ren was the one acting strangely. I hoped it was only an effect of the fever and nothing else.

"No! That's wrong!" I shouted. "It's not our fault! Monokuma and the Mastermind are the ones we need to blame! You can't lose hope Ren!" Ren let out a weak chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You sound just like him."

"Him?" I asked. Ren nodded.

"Like Kinji." He replied. "You're a lot like him actually. When I'm with you, it feels like he's still here."

I felt my cheeks grow red. Did he really think that? I felt flattered, but at the same time, disappointed for some reason.

"Does this mean you're going to stop beating yourself up over this?" I asked. Ren nodded.

"Yes. Like you said, I can't lose hope." He said. There aren't may of us left, so we need to focus on finding the mastermind, beating Monokuma and escaping. We can't throw away our lives after sacrificing our friends to keep them." I nodded. We were both silent for a while.

"I wish we could remember the time we spent at Hopes Peak." I said, breaking the silence. "I'm sure you, Kinji and I had a lot of good memories together."

Ren smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. Unfortunately, _he_ had to ruin the moment.

"Much romance! Many love! Wow!" Monokuma exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" I snapped.

"Seriously." The bear said. "You could cut the romantic tension in here with a knife!"

I quickly stood up, my cheeks felt warm again.

"That's, that's not how it is!" I stuttered. I was ju-" Ren cut me off.

"Yui." He said. I turned to face him.

"Just ignore him." He advised. "He wants a reaction, so don't give him one" Monokuma pouted.

"Aw. You're no fun!" He said. "Even after I brought you here and patched you up, you still don't like me?"

"Of course I don't." Ren snapped. "You're the reason we're in here aren't you? I might consider liking you if you tell me who's controlling you though." Monokuma gasped and became all flustered.

"Are you suggesting that there's someone with more authority than me?" He asked. He started sweating and looking all gushy. "Are you suggesting you want to be that authority figure? I didn't think you were the dominant kind of guy Ren! I can feel my heart beating faster at the thought. Ba-bump! Ba-bump!"

"You really are insufferable." Ren sighed. Monokuma laughed.

"I'm not insufferable. I'm a bear!" He said. "There's a big difference." He looked to me, then to Ren, and then repeated the action several times.

"Well, I don't know how responsible I'd be if I left two teens and a bed in a room." He said after a bit. "But I think that it should be fine so long as the cameras are here. So don't do anything naughty! That goes for you too Yui!"

With that said, he walked out the door with a laugh. I sighed.

"He definitely knows how to ruin a happy moment." I said. Ren shrugged. The action looked like it was more effort than it was worth.

"Well, it wouldn't be a moment if it didn't end." He said. "Now, would you mind if I slept for a bit? The toxin is still in my system, so I'm feeling pretty weak." I nodded and headed towards the door.

"Yeah! Of course!" Ren closed his eyes. I placed my hand on the door knob, but then stopped, turning to face him again.

"About what Monokuma said." I said.. "I really didn't mean-" Without opening his eyes, Ren cut me off.

"Don't worry Yui. I understand." He said. I nodded and left the room, heading straight to the dining hall. The others were waiting anxiously for me to get there.

"Hey guys." I said. "Ren woke up, but he's still feeling pretty weak, so he's asked for us to let him rest for now."

I decided to leave out the rest of what happened. After I had eaten, we started to discuss the new area.

"We should probably wait to investigate until Ren can join us." Saruwatari suggested. We all nodded.

Sota rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"How many areas do you think there are?" He asked. Koharu tilted her head to the side, as if she was listening to someone. Probably one of her friends.

"Well," She said after a moment. "Gnome says that based on the shape of the walls, this whole city is a circle. So we'll eventually run out." Michiyo shrugged.

"Though, none of us are going to be killing anyone, so I guess we'll never know." She said monotonously. Missa nodded,

"For all we know, this new area could be the last one."

I felt a pain in my stomach as I came to a horrible realization.

"But if that's the case," I began. "And we don't find anything in that area, then there's no hope of escaping."

Akio hadn't said a single thing since I had gotten there. He almost seemed to be in a daze.

"Akio?" Missa said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?" Akio's jumped. He must have been lost in his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah." He said. "I'm just worried about Ren."

"Oh, right!" I said, remembering Ren and my conversation on the train. "I've been meaning to ask you about something. Ren and I were talking, and he says that you've been staring at him since we first got here. I was wondering why."

Akio became flustered and looked away.

"Oh." He said quickly. "He noticed me- um. I..."

"If I didn't know any better," Sota teased. "I'd say that Akio has a crush on Ren."

"That's not it!" Akio exclaimed. "I... uh..." Sota began to sing.

"Akio and Ren sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-" Akio cut him off.

"Shut up Sota!" He snapped. "Unless you want a black eye!" Missa held out her hand, slowly lowering Akio's.

"There's nothing wrong with you liking Ren, Akio." She said. Once again, Akio looked away.

"I don't like him okay!" He said. "He just... reminds me of someone. So drop it! Okay?"

We all nodded, not wanting to be on the receiving end of one of Akio's punches. We all decided to go our separate ways until Ren got better. I tried to think of a place to go. I hadn't gone to the rollerskating rink yet. I used to love skating, so maybe it would be fun. I got on the train and headed to the fourth area.

The rink was large, and there were a bunch of bright flashing lights. It was almost identical to the one I went to as a kid. As I walked further into the building, I notice Koharu sitting at a table near the rink.

"Hey Koharu." I said. "I'm glad you're here. This place would feel really lonely if I was by myself."

That was true. The entire building was empty. It was almost unnerving. Koharu shrugged.

"I'm never lonely." She said. "I have my friends with me."

Right. The hallucinations caused by the car crash.

"Are your friends always with you?" I asked. Koharu nodded, but then stopped and shook her head instead.

"There was one time that they weren't." She said. "When I was a kid, my parent were okay with my friends. They said that I could stay with them if that made me happy. I could tell they didn't believe me, but I was fine with that." Koharu paused for a moment. She almost seemed... sad. I had never seen her look like that before.

"When I got older though." She continued. "My parents weren't as sure about my 'Imaginary friends'. They took me to a special doctor to get some help. The doctor gave me some medicine that they said would make things better, but when I took it, my friends disappeared! I tried to draw them like I usually did, but I couldn't since I couldn't see them. I felt so lonely when that happened, so I stopped taking the medicine. My parents were angry at first, but I made a deal with them. If I didn't have to take the medication, then I wouldn't talk to my friends in public, and I'd try to make human friends too."

I felt tears forming in my eyes. Now that she had finished the story, Koharu didn't seem as sad. I placed my hand on hers.

"If your friends ever leave again, I'll still be there for you." I said. Koharu smiled.

"Thank you Yui." She said. "But Erza says that you don't have to worry about them leaving."

I smiled and asked her if she wanted to skate. Koharu shook her head.

"No thank you." She said. "I'm just here because I find the flashing lights pretty. I don't know how to skate."

"I can teach you if you want." I offered. Koharu thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"Okay!" She replied.

The two of us skated for a bit. She held onto my hand a little too tightly at times, but it was still fun. After a while, we took a break to let our feet breath. The skates were tighter than I remembered. While we were doing this, the door opened to reveal Saruwatari.

"Oh! There you guys are!" He said.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Ren is up and walking, so we're going to investigate the new area."


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

We passed each of the already opened areas as the train made it's way to the newly opened fifth one. I looked over to Ren. He seemed pale, but was still able to walk. Missa was sitting next to him, looking out the window.

"What do you think this area will be?" She asked. Michiyo shrugged.

"Probably something completely stupid and ridiculous." She answered. We entered the final tunnel. It was dark inside, and I felt my curiosity growing. I looked out the window, trying to find the bright light at the end. But... there wasn't one. The train left the tunnel and left every one of us speechless. We got off and took in the new, dark, despair filled area.

The entire section was a demolished downtown area. There were large grey skyscrapers just barely covered by the walls. Cement paths led to each one, and each of these were surrounded by dead brown grass. In the middle of the area was a large machine surrounded by barbed wire. We started walking down the street.

"What happened here?" Sota asked.

"I'm not sure." I replied. "And I don't know if I want to find out."

"Well, it's definitely different than the other areas." Ren said. "I'm sure we'll find something of interest here." He stumbled, tripping on some of the debris. Akio caught him and held him upright.

"Thank you Akio." Ren said. "But you do know that just because I look like him, doesn't mean I am him." Akio nodded and sighed.

"I know." He admitted. "But I just can't help but feel protective, you know?"

Him? Who were they talking about? Apparently Saruwatari was curious too.

"What are you two talking about?" He asked. Ren stepped away from Akio so he could face the rest of us. The carpenter let go of his shoulder.

"Akio and I had a discussion regarding his constant staring." Ren explained. "He finally explained his actions." Akio sighed.

"He reminds me of my boyfriend from before all this happened." He admitted. "Okay? Are you happy now?"

"So you don't have a crush on Ren?" Sota asked. Akio shook his head.

"No. I just can't help feeling protective." He said. "He looks almost identical to him."

I knew the feeling.

"Nonetheless." Ren continued, turning back to Akio. "I can take care of myself, so I don't need your help."

"Yeah. I got it." Akio said. Saruwatari gestured to the path.

"We should probably keep going." He suggested. We all nodded and began walking again. Looking around, we saw that all of the skyscrapers were either to destroyed to enter, or boarded up. Just as we were beginning to lose hope of finding anything of interest, we reach the end of the street. In front of us was the only building in relatively good condition. It looked like a government building, probably a city hall or something similar. The sign above the main entrance was all scratched up. No doubt the original cities' name had been written there once. Now, the name Monocity had been crudely painted on with what I hoped was red paint. The entire area was fenced off with barbed wire fences, but the large gate in the centre was wide open. We decided to split up and investigate.

Saruwatari and I headed over to the side, near the large grey walls. There were three strange, military looking buildings. When I looked closer, I saw that they were bunkers. I wasn't sure if I should go inside. Saruwatari must have noticed that I was nervous.

"I can go first if you want." He offered. I nodded. I felt bad about making him go alone, but I didn't think my legs would move. Saruwatari disappeared into the ground, and it was silent for a while. Just as I was starting to feel really worried, the hatch opened up again.

"It's safe to come down." Saruwatari said. "There's nothing too dangerous." Nodding, I followed him into the bunker. The inside was a large cement room. Cots lined the walls, and there were shelves and cabinets in the middle. Each of these was filled with supplies. There was also what I think was a makeshift bathroom.

Saruwatari had been looking around, but walked back over to me.

"I think it's some sort of shelter." He said. "But I can't think of anything someone would need to take shelter from." I nodded.

"Yeah." I said. "I'm pretty sure that the country isn't in any wars right now."

Saruwatari walked back to the ladder.

"I'll go check the other two." He said. "You should go back and tell the others." Once again, I nodded, following him out of the bunker. Saruwatari turned to the side, entering the next bunker. I moved over the barbed wire fence, where Akio and Koharu were investigating.

"Did you guys find anything?" I asked. Akio shrugged.

"It looks like the whole city hall area is blocked off with barbed wire fences." He said before pointing to the open gate. "And there's a huge gate with a lock that can be closed."

I looked at the gate for a moment. Even open, it made me feel anxious.

"Why would they need something like that?" I asked. "Do you think that this has something to do with the lack of people in the city?" Koharu shrugged.

"We're not sure." She said. "But it might be good to look around a bit more."

I nodded and made my way to the city hall main entrance. I noticed Ren and Missa. Missa wall pulling at some boards fastened to the door, while Ren watched.

"What's going on here?" I asked. Ren sighed.

"We tried to get in, but the door was blocked off." He explained. "I offered to try and pull them off, but Missa told me to stay here." This time, Missa sighed. She walked over to us, brushing off her hands on her dress.

"I managed to get one off." She said. "But there were more underneath. I don't think we're going to get in that way."

"That's unfortunate." Ren said. Before any of us could reply though, Sota began running over to us, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Guys!" He shouted. "You'll never guess what we just found!" Michiyo was jogging behind him.

"There's no need to shout Sota." She said with an annoyed tone. "It's not that amazing."

Saruwatari and the others ran over, probably wanting to know why Sota was shouting.

"What's not that amazing?" Saruwatari asked. Sota pointed over the shed he had been investigating.

"In the shed over there, there are a bunch of weapons!" Sota explained. "Guns, Knives, rope, spears, any weapon you can name." Saruwatari looked over to the shed.

"Why would something like that be here?" He asked. Michiyo shrugged.

"I'm guessing Monokuma put it there." She said. Ren nodded.

"That does make sense." He admitted. "It would definitely help with his sick game." Sota nodded as well, before looking at the rest of us.

"So what did you guys find?" He asked.

"We were looking for a way to get into city hall." Ren began "But unfortunately, the door is boarded up."

"I tried to pull off the planks, but it was really difficult." Missa added.

"We'll look again later." Ren said. "There has to be a reason it's been blocked off." Akio gestured to the fence and gate.

"We found out that the fence has a huge gate with a lock." He shared. Koharu nodded.

"The hinges are still working, so we could use it if we ever needed too." She said. That left Saruwatari and I.

"Yui and I found some underground bunkers." Saruwatari said. This got everyone's attention.

"Underground!?" Akio asked. "Do you think we could dig our way out from there?" I shook my head.

"The walls were concrete." I said. "I don't think we could." Koharu pointed at the weapons shed.

"Wouldn't there be pickaxes in the shed?" She said. Sota nodded.

"Yeah! There were!" He said excitedly. "I'll go get them!" He started to run off to the shed, but was cut off by Monokuma's high pitched voice.

"Don't even think about it!" He snapped. Sota stopped immediately and we all turned to face the bear. I hadn't even noticed him until he had spoken.

"I am soooo disappointed in you all." Monokuma said. "Planning to vandalize city property! How could you!?" He began to make sobbing noises. It kind of lost the effect coming from him. "That's against the law you know!" He said after a bit. Koharu shook her head.

"There's no law against it." She said. Monokuma's fake crying stopped.

"There isn't?" He asked. "Well then! I need to fix that. New law! No vandalizing city property!"

I took out my E-Handbook, and sure enough, that had been added to the rules page. I guess that meant we weren't going to dig our way out of here. Monokuma laughed.

"By the way." He said. "This is the last area! So don't go touching any of those pickaxes! Unless it's going to end up in someone's head! Puhuhu!"

Then he left. Wait. Had I heard him properly?

"The last area?" I asked.

"Then, we should investigate more, right?" Missa asked. "If if we don't find anything here then-" She was cut off by the sound of the monitors turning on.

"This is a public service announcement. It is now 10pm, and nighttime has officially begun. For your own safety, it is recommended that you stay indoors. Well then, good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!"

We all waited for the announcement to end. After it had, Ren sighed and shook his head.

"It would probably be best to postpone the investigation until tomorrow." He suggested. We all nodded and starting walking back to the train station. While we were waiting, I remembered what I had thought about the night before.

"Guys wait!" I said.

"What's wrong Yui?" Sota asked. I made sure I had everyone's attention.

"I think I figured something out yesterday." I said.

I explained my theory about the photos. How I thought that we weren't the first ones to go through Monokuma's sick game, and the photos may have been the participants of the first one. Everyone listened quietly.

"But if this happened to them..." Missa said. "Then, where are they now?"

"Well, if Monokuma did it again," Michiyo began. "Then I'm guessing the first one finished according to plan. So they're probably all dead."

"Except the winner." Saruwatari added. A silence fell over the group as we thought about that. What _had_ happened to the last group. Did they even exist? Maybe my theory was completely wrong.

The train arrived and we got on. Still processing what we had discussed. It was a short train ride since the train track had come full circle. It was only one stop to the first area. Once we got off the train, Koharu shrugged.

"Well, we should go sleep." She suggested. "It's just a theory after all." She started walking to the hotel and the rest of us followed, each of us going to our own rooms.

I laid in bed for a bit, staring at the photos. Who were these people? Are we like them? Are they dead?

Once again, I fell asleep with my head full of questions. Questions that only Monokuma knew the answers too.

But we would find them soon enough.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

As I entered the dining hall the next morning, I felt my muscles freeze from shock. The room was almost completely empty. Had we really lost so many? We had started as sixteen, and now only seven of us were left. I forced myself to step forward. Sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves wouldn't help anything. We had to live each day like it was our last. Just like Isoya had said.

I sat down next to Koharu. Missa and Sota were already sitting there.

"Good morning Yui." Koharu said with a smile. Before I could return the greeting, Ren walked over. Akio and Saruwatari were with him. Missa moved over so they could sit down.

"You're looking better today Ren." Missa said. Ren nodded.

"I certainly feel better as well." He replied. "It seems like the toxin has completely left my system."

"Even so," Saruwatari interjected. "I'm still going to spend the day with him just in case."

We all started eating. Soon Michiyo joined as well.

"Well, there's no point eating alone if there's so few people anyways." She said. Even though there were so few of us left, the dining hall still felt more lively than ever.

Once we all finished eating, we headed over to the fifth area. What else could we do? If it was the final area, then it was our only lead. The first things we investigated were the skyscrapers. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single clue to be found. Every building had been completely destroyed. It wasn't long before we moved our search to the city hall. Ren walked up to the boarded up entrance.

"We need to find a way into that building." He said. "Unfortunately, breaking the door is no longer an option thanks to Monokuma's law." Sota pointed up.

"Why don't we climb up and try to get in through the roof?" He suggested. Michiyo shook her head.

"By the looks of it, most of those footholds won't hold." She said. "Not to mention it's three stories up." Sota sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." he admitted.

"What about the window?" Koharu asked, pointing to the wall. We followed her gaze and saw a boarded up window on the side of the building. There was a small break in the barrier, just large enough for a person to crawl through. We all walked over to get a closer look.

"I know I won't fit through that." Akio said.

"I don't think even I could fit through that." Michiyo added. She had a point. Strange as it was, now that we were closer the hole looked a lot smaller. Sota used his hands to measure the gap.

"What about Missa?" He asked. "She's small!" I saw Missa's eyes dart to the window. She looked frightened. With her claustrophobia, a small place like that would be horrible for her. I decided it was time for me to help.

"I could probably fit." I said. Akio shook his head.

"Don't be stupid." He said. "You won't fit." I took off my hoodie, handing it to Missa. I could see in her eyes that she was grateful for my offer.

"I'm actually a lot thinner than I look." I said. "My hoodie's just bulky."

With a little boost from Akio, I crawled through the gap. It was a tight fit and my clothes got snagged on the boards a few times, but I got through mostly unscathed. One I was inside, it was pitch black. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. The only thing I did notice was a very familiar smell. I turned around and looked through the gap.

"Do you guys have a light I could use?" I asked.

"Yeah." Saruwatari answered. "There are some flashlights in the bunkers. I'll go grab one."

I could hear him running away, the footsteps getting quieter and quieter. Ren moved up to the window.

"Can see you see anything at all?" He asked. I shook my head before I realized they couldn't see me.

"No." I answered. "But it smells really bad."

"It wasn't me." Sota said. I heard Michiyo sigh.

"It probably was." She said. "Your breath stinks of idiocy."

"No it doesn't!" Sota argued. "I brushed my teeth this morning!"

While this was going on, I heard Saruwatari's footsteps again.

"Here! Got it!" He said. He held it through the gap and I took it from him. Turning towards the dark nothingness, I turned the flash light on. I couldn't have prepared myself for what the light revealed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I hadn't been able to control myself. I heard a loud scream, and it took me a moment before I realized the sound was coming from me. I closed my mouth. There, strewn across the floor, hung onto walls, covered in blood... were corpses. The smell had been blood. I fell to my knees, closing my eyes, and heard movement outside.

"Yui!" Ren shouted. "What happened!?"

I turned back the gap.

"I'm fine! I'm fine." I reassured, even though my voice was shaking. "It's just that. There are... dead bodies in here." I choked on the last part. The smell was becoming overwhelming.

"You don't need to stay in there if you're scared Yui." Saruwatari said. I felt tempted to take up the offer. I wanted nothing more than to get out of this makeshift morgue. But... I couldn't do that. This was the only lead we had. Besides... the smell wasn't as bad as it had been at first.

"I'm fine." I repeated. "It just surprised me."My voice had stopped shaking, and the others seemed convinced. "I'll shout if something happens."

After taking one more breath of fresh air from the gap, I stood up. I didn't scream this time. Slowly and carefully, I made my way deeper into the building. Soon I realized that corpses weren't the only thing that had been left here. Along with them, there were many broken Monokumas. Their claws and bodies were covered in dried blood, no doubt from the countless bodies they were laying on.

The building itself looked like a normal city hall, only, covered in dust, cobwebs and blood. Eventually, I managed to find some stairs. My hands were shaking as I gripped the railing. There was nothing to be found on the first floor amidst the corpses. Hopefully.

At the top of the stairs, there was a long hallway. I tried each door, discovering quickly that almost all of them were locked. However, the sixth one I tried opened easily. Looking at the nameplate, I saw that it was the mayor's office. I pushed open the door and the familiar scent filled my nostrils with more ferocity. How could an overwhelming smell get even stronger?

The room was relatively large. Bookshelves lined the walls and there was a desk opposite of the door. Sitting in the chair behind it was the corpse of a young man. There were claw marks and blood on his chest. Next to him was another broken Monokuma. Reluctantly, I approached the desk. If there were any clues left behind, this is where they would be.

The desk was relatively empty, most of it's contents now strewn across the floor. The only things that were left were a book and a letter. The book was titled survival log. Picking up the letter, I opened it up. The mayor wouldn't mind. Or perhaps "couldn't" would be the better word to use. It was addressed to Mayor Eikyuu Nero, and was sent by something called the Future Foundation. I had never heard of them before. Were they some sort of charity group? No. Now wasn't the time to think about that. I started to read the letter, eager to see what answers it would have.

" _Dear Mr. Nero, The Future Foundation has received your letter. As much as we would like to send help, we can't. We've seen a similar situation before, and we know that sending in our agents will result in more casualties for both us and you. We hope that you understand our dilemma, and we also hope that what we are about to say will bring you some hope in all this despair. We may have found a way to cure those who have fallen into despair. If you manage to survive long enough, then we will try our best to help your citizens if they need it. We apologize for leaving you when you need assistance, but as we said, we cannot help. Thank you for understanding. Sincerely, the Future Foundation."_

I felt my jaw drop as I reached the end of the letter. So this Mr. Nero had sent for help, and was turned down? I had never heard of "The Future Foundation" before, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to. They had abandoned this city when they needed help.

The city had needed help? What had happened? Why would sending help result in casualties? Why was this foundation making a cure for despair? What did all of this mean.

All of these questions and countless other spun around in my head as I tried to make sense of everything. I felt a chill run down my spine. I wasn't sure if it was from the cold, or from the letter. Wanting to get out of there, I grabbed the book and letter and turned to the door. However, I froze when I heard an all too familiar laugh.

"Puhuhuhu"

Turning around, I looked at the broken Monokuma. It was still siting where it had been. Was my brain just playing tricks on me? I started to walk to the door again and saw Monokuma standing at the side of the room. He let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"It's a shame really." He said with melancholic tone.

"What is?" I asked. Even I could hear my voice shaking.

"I was going to reveal all of this in the last class trial!" Monokuma replied. "You don't reveal stuff like that early, you gotta save it for the final chapter!" I stood up straighter and put my hands on my hips, not wanting to let him know I was scared.

"Well, it looks like things aren't going to go like you planned." I said smugly before turning to the door. I continued walking over, but stopped again when I saw another Monokuma blocking my path. Startled, I took a few steps back. The second bear closed the door, then both of them looked at me in unison.

"You better not tell the others about what you found." They said in unison. "Nobody likes a blabber mouth."

What I found? Were they talking about the book and the letter? I hugged the two items to my chest as I continued backing up. The Monokumas approached me slowly.

"W-What are you talking about?" I asked. "Why shouldn't I tell them? They have every right to know."

"Like I said before." The first one said. "You've gotta save it for the final chapter!"

"And if you try to spoil my surprise," the second continued. "I'll make sure to shut you up. Permanently."

My back hit the desk. Eyes darting around the room, I tried to find a way out. I had a feeling that the corpses in the building were victims of Monokuma's claws, and I didn't want to add to the body count.

 _Thump_

Something heavy hit the back of my head and I fell to the floor, dropping the letter and book in the process. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness were the two Monokuma's laughing as the broken one picked up the items I had been trying to protect.

I couldn't do anything now. I had failed the others.

That was all I could think as my vision went black.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Hey! Hey! Are you awake? Hello?"

I woke up to the sound of a girl's voice. I couldn't recognize who it was. Lifting my head slightly, I realized I was laying on the floor. Why had I fallen asleep there? My head felt foggy, but as things became clearer I remembered what had happened. Monokuma had knocked me out when I found the journal and letter.

"Yui?" The girl said, gently shaking my shoulder. The voice belonged to Koharu.

"Koharu?" I said weakly. I heard her sigh in relief.

"She's okay guys." She said. So the others had made it inside? How did they fit through the gap? I opened my eyes and saw an empty room besides Koharu and I. Oh. Koharu must have been talking to her friends. We were still in the mayors office. I sat up slowly, my head feeling dizzy. Koharu supported my back as I did this.

"What happened?" She asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but then remembered Monokuma's warning. What would he do if I told them? My mind flashed back to the Gazebo. I couldn't risk something like that happening again.

"I... I tripped on something and hit my head." I lied. Koharu nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I tripped too." She said. "I didn't hit anything though." She pointed to the side of my head.

"You have a bump."

Once Koharu had pointed it out, I immediately felt a throbbing pain. I'd have to remember to thank Monokuma for that later.

"We should get going." Koharu said. "You've been in here for an hour."

"An hour!?" I exclaimed. Koharu nodded.

"We waited for about half an hour, and then they sent us in." She explained. "It took awhile to find you."

This time I nodded and slowly stood up, making the headache worse. Koharu and I made our way to the exit. Luckily, Koharu had a flashlight since I had dropped and broken mine when I was hit in the head.

"Did you find anything?" Koharu asked as we walked down the stairs.

"No." I lied again. "I looked, but I didn't find anything." Koharu was silent for a moment.

"Oh. That's too bad." She said. "Ren thought that we'd find some huge clues here."

We reached the window and Koharu went up to the gap.

"We found her!" She announced. Ren was the first to respond.

"Are you alright Yui?" He asked. "What happened?" I knelt next to Koharu near the window so they could hear me.

"I tripped upstairs on some debris and hit my head." I said. Each time I lied it seemed to be easier than the last.

"I see." Ren said. His voice had a strange mix of relief and disappointment. "Well, come out and we'll talk. I'm glad you're okay."

Koharu let me go first and I climbed through the gap. Koharu followed closely behind. Once we were outside, Sota ran over and hugged me. His eyes were puffy from crying and it looked like he would start again at any moment.

"Yui! We were so worried!" He said. "We thought something horrible had happened!" I patted him on the head, not sure of what else to do.

"Don't worry Sota." I reassured. "I'm fine. I just have a bump on my head." Sota nodded and backed up. I could tell he was tying very hard not to cry again. Missa walked over next, examining my head.

"You do have a bump!" She said. "Doesn't your head hurt?" I nodded before realizing that wasn't a smart thing to do.

"Like crazy." I replied.

"Did you find anything in there?" Michiyo asked.

"No." I answered, hopefully convincingly. "I looked around, but I couldn't find anything. I think Monokuma cleared the place out." Ren sighed.

"That's unfortunate." He said.

"Sorry." I replied. I felt bad for lying to them.

"There's no reason for you to apologize." Ren said. "It's not your fault that there was nothing there. I was just hoping we'd find something, since this was our last hope."

We all stood in silence for a bit. The town hall really had been our last hope. And even though the others didn't know, Monokuma had stolen that hope from us. Anger starting building up inside of me as I thought about that stupid bear.

"So that means... we're stuck here?" Akio said after a bit.

"No. That's wrong!" I exclaimed, the anger changing into passion. "I'm sure we can still find a way out! We just have to try harder." Ren nodded.

"That's right." He agreed. "We can't lose hope."

"Either way," Missa interjected. "I think we've all had enough adventure for one day. Maybe we should all go relax." We all nodded and began to go our separate ways. Saruwatari walked up to me.

"Do you want me to take a look at the bump?" He asked.

"No thanks." I said. "It's nothing serious. I think I'm just going to look for some pain killers in the medical centre to help with the headache." Saruwatari seemed uncertain.

"Okay, but..." He waved Koharu over. "Koharu, you go with her in case she has a concussion."

Koharu nodded and took my hand. We headed over to the medical centre, leaving Saruwatari behind.

"So do you really think that we aren't getting out?" Koharu asked after a bit. She seemed kind of sad.

"I'm sure we will!" I reassured. "Worst comes to worse, we'll climb the wall." I had meant it as a joke, but it seemed Koharu hadn't noticed my tone.

"I don't think that would work." Koharu replied.

"I know." I said. "I was joking."

"Oh. Sorry." She said. We reached the medical centre and walked inside. I hadn't even noticed how large the medicine cabinet was when I had been there with Ren. Opening up the door, I saw a plethora of bottles lining the shelves. On the lowest one, there was a bunch of poisons. This must have been where Mayu had gotten the one she used.

"Do you see any pain killers?" I asked Koharu. She handed me a bottle. I hadn't even noticed her grab it.

"Thanks." I said, reading the label. It was definitely a bottle of painkillers. Not that I would expect Koharu of all people to try to poison me. Following the instructions, I dry swallowed two of the pills. After returning the bottle, I turned to Koharu. She seemed to be sad.

"What's wrong Koharu?" I asked. Koharu's head snapped up. She must have been lost in thought.

"Oh!" She said. "It's just that..." She looked at the cabinet. "These pills remind me of the ones the doctor gave me."

Right. Koharu didn't like medicine. I had forgotten about that.

"Sorry." I said. "I didn't even think about that." Koharu shrugged.

"It's fine." She said. We stood in an awkward silence for a bit. I wasn't sure if I should leave or not, but after a while Koharu spoke again.

"You know, I actually don't mind being in this situation." She said.

"Really?" I said. "Why's that?" That statement had come out of nowhere. Was something on her mind?

"Well," Koharu began. "Because Monokuma erased our memories, I can't remember Hopes Peak, but thanks to that, I got to make new friends."

"And you have your old friends too." I added. Koharu nodded.

"Yep. Ember, Erza, Gnome, Spyrix, and now Yui!"

I smiled. Almost every day I had been here I had sat with Koharu in the morning. It had become habit after a bit, but it seemed that in the end a beautiful friendship had been born because of it.

"I'm going to go back to my room now." Koharu said. I nodded and said goodbye before yawning. Perhaps I needed to sleep too. I went back to my room and after a quick shower to wash off the dust and grime from the city hall, I went to bed.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Like usual, I woke up to the morning announcement. My head pain wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the day before, and the bump was already starting to go away. In a good mood for once, I made my way to the dining hall.

Right away, I noticed that something wasn't right. My usual table group wasn't sitting together. Koharu was at the normal table, but Sota and Missa were both sitting alone on the other side of the room. Confused, I sat down next to Koharu.

"What's wrong with Missa and Sota?" I asked. Koharu shrugged.

"They were acting weird this morning." She said. "I invited them to sit with me, but they didn't."

I felt nervous. This wasn't a bad sign was it? They probably just wanted some alone time to cope with the disappointment from yesterday. Yeah. That had to be it.

"Well, we have something we need to do later, so we're going to get going." Koharu said, standing up.

"Oh. Okay, see ya." I said. She left and Akio took her place at the table.

"What's with them?" He said, looking at Sota and Missa.

"I don't know." I replied. "But I hope it isn't a bad sign." Akio shrugged.

"Well, it's not like any of them are stupid enough to try anything." He said. "Not when we're all so close to getting out." I smiled. Just like Ren, Akio had changed a lot too since all of this had started.

"I'm glad to see that you're not losing hope Akio." I said. His cheeks flushed with colour. 

"Well, I have someone waiting for me, you know?" He said. "I need to make sure I see him soon, so he doesn't think I left him." I smiled again and Akio left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I was probably just over analyzing things. Perhaps I needed to distract myself. Standing up, I made my way to the door. Some rollerblading would help take my mind off things. On the way, I ran into Ren.

"Good morning." I said smiling. "Do you want to join me? I'm going to the skating rink." He thought for a moment before shrugging. That seemed to be a popular gesture this morning.

"I'm not really into skating." He said. "But I'll join you for the company."

I skated for about an hour while Ren watched. We were both silent, just enjoying each others company. Soon I started taking off my skates. Ren was silent while I unlaced the first, but it seemed like he had something he needed to get off his mind.

"Did you really not find anything in the city hall?" He asked. I stopped unlacing my skates and looked up at him.

"There were lots of things in there." I answered. "But nothing related to our situation."

Inside, I felt angry. Angry at Monokuma, and also at myself. I didn't want to lie to Ren. He still seemed uncertain, and for a moment I wondered if he knew I was lying.

"In that case, I guess that the town hall was a dead end." He said. I nodded. It seemed he still trusted me. That only made me feel even worse. I finished taking off the other skate.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked. Ren shrugged.

"I'm probably going to head to the fifth area." He answered. "There's still some places I haven't looked at."

We both stood up and headed to the door but as we got there it swung open. Before we could even figure out what was happening, Saruwatari started waving us over.

"Yui! Ren! Follow me!" He said frantically. "It's an emergency!"

Ren and I followed Saruwatari as quickly as we could. It looked like he was headed towards the bar.

"What's happened?" I asked Saruwatari. I could hear Ren's breathing getting heavier behind me. Hopefully he wouldn't have an asthma attack. Saruwatari continued to run when he answered.

"Koharu has locked herself in the rec room and won't come out." He explained. We reached the bar. I hadn't been here yet, but I didn't have much time to take in my surroundings. We turned left and headed towards an adjacent room. The door was closed. Looking in through the window, I saw that it was a rec room, and sitting on a couch in the middle of it was Koharu. I tried to open the door, but it was locked tight.

"Koharu!" I shouted out. "Koharu! Open the door!" Saruwatari put his hand on my shoulder.

"It's no use trying that." He said. "She won't respond when you call." I looked through the window again. She looked unconscious.

"You don't think that she's..." My voice trailed off. I didn't want to think about that, but my muscles still tensed up nonetheless. Ren, who was still out of breath from running, grabbed a cloth from the bar. Moving quickly, he approached the door. He wrapped the cloth around his hand and broke the window. Sticking his hand through the hole, he moved something out of the way inside the room. When he opened the door I saw that the door hadn't been locked. There was a chair just inside the room that must have been holding it shut.

We all ran inside and I realized that Koharu hadn't reacted to the sound of the glass breaking. As I got closer I saw blood dripping down her forehead. I froze where I was, not wanting to move closer. Saruwatari however, ran right up to Koharu.

"She isn't breathing." He said before grabbing her hand. "And her body is cold."

I felt my own body become cold, my blood freezing as I realized what had happened.

Koharu was dead. It had happened again.

I felt the urge to scream, but my body wouldn't let me. I was frozen.

 _Ding dong ding dong._

"A body has been discovered. After a certain amount of time has passed, a class trial will be held. Please use your time until then responsibly."

The body discovery announcement. She really was dead. After a bit of time, everyone else arrived.

"What!?" Sota exclaimed. "What happened!? When did..." Missa, who was standing next to him, stood there in horror. She looked like she was about to cry. Michiyo and Akio looked frightened, but at the same time it almost seemed like they were used to it. Like usual, _he_ got to the scene right away.

"Wow." Monokuma said. "It sure is depressing in here. You'd think that you guys would be used to this at this point." He only got angry glares from us in response.

"Geez, tough crowd." He replied. "Anyways, I'm just here to give you... The Monokuma File! Tadaaah!" He pressed some buttons on his device and our E-Handbooks beeped. Saruwatari took his out and turned it on. Out of all of us, he seemed the least bothered by the situation. Granted, thinking back I remembered him saying he didn't mind dead bodies. So I guess it made sense.

Once Saruwatari had the file, Monokuma clapped his hands together.

"Well, the clock is ticking!" He said. "And I have a feeling that this trial is going to be an interesting one. So you better start investigating! See ya! Puhuhu."

He left and Saruwatari opened the file.

"I guess I should read this." He said. "The victim was Koharu Koijima. Time of death, 3:37pm. She died instantly. She was also hit on the back of the head twice." He closed the file. Something seemed wrong.

"There was no cause of death." I pointed out.

"That's strange." Ren said. He looked at his copy of the file on his E-Handbook.

"I guess we should start investigating then." Michiyo said. Akio and Sota offered to watch the crime scene and the rest of us got to work.

First I headed over to the door. There was broken glass on the ground from Ren breaking the window. Some of it had landed on top of the chair. That's right. The chair had been holding the door shut. Did that mean... yep. Looking at the door I saw that there was no lock.

I would have continued to investigate the door, if something red hadn't caught my eye. On the carpet, there was a red stain. It was a pool of blood. Sitting next to it was a pool cue, no doubt from the pool table in the room. There was a red stain on it as well. No doubt, the two were connected. I'd figure out how later. For now, I needed to find as many clues as I could.

I made my way to Koharu's body. I hadn't noticed it at first, but she had died sitting down. How had that happened? Did the killer move her body? I looked at the carpet to see if there was something to prove that. I didn't see any signs of the body moving, but there _was_ a small Styrofoam cup. As I was looking at it, Ren picked it up.

"Do you think Koharu dropped it?" He asked, bringing it closer to his face. I shrugged.

"It was near the body, so that's possible." I replied. Ren frowned. Was something wrong.

"This cup..." he said. "It smells familiar."

That was a strange observation. I decided to leave Ren to figure out this apparent dilemma. Instead, I looked at a magazine on the table. What was it doing there? Picking it up, I flipped through the pages. Once again, I saw a red stain. No. Not a stain. Something was written in the book in blood.

Missa

Missa? Why was her name written in the magazine? And in blood too? Was it... was it Koharu's dying message? Saruwatari walked over to me.

"So, I'm pretty sure it was the blows to the head that killed her." He said, before stopping to look at the magazine in my hands. "What are you... what?" His eyes darted over to Missa once he saw the message.

"Should we ask her about it?" I asked. Saruwatari shook his head.

"No." He said bluntly. "It might be better if we hold onto it. It can be the ace up our sleeve."

Even if we had decided to talk to Missa, we would have been cut off by the monitors turning on.

"So..." Monokuma said. "Are you all excited!? Are you pumped!? I sure am! Let's get this party started!"

He seemed more cheerful than usual. Placing the magazine in my pocket, I headed out one door, making my way to another.

The large red door seemed as ominous as always when it opened up, revealing the elevator. We all stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind us. The elevator roared to life and began the descent.

Just this morning, I had spoken to Koharu, and now she was gone. Once again, we had lost a friend. And now we'd be forced to kill another. Was this really fair? Killing our friends to save our own lives?

Had one of us killed Koharu for that reason? More importantly, had Missa killed her? Why else would her name be written in that magazine? Was Missa really the killer?

If we couldn't figure that out, then we would never go up this elevator again.

The killer was one of us, and the only way we could avoid sharing Koharu's fate would be finding the culprit. As I thought about this the elevator came to a halt, and the trial, a battle between hope and despair, began.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial." Monokuma began. "The result of the trial is determined by your own votes. If the correct culprit is chosen, then only they will receive punishment. But if you choose the wrong one, I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they alone will get to leave!" Monokuma paused for a moment. "Yes! I made it through without any interruptions this time!"

Saruwatari was the first to speak.

"Let's start with discussing the murder weapon." He suggested. "It was probably the pool cue."

"Yeah." Akio said. "Of course it is! It has Koharu's blood on it. There's no need to debate this."

Was there really no need? I had a feeling it wasn't that simple.

"That might not be true." I argued.

"Why not?" Akio asked.

"Well, somethings been bothering me since we got the Monokuma file." I said.

"Are you talking about the fact that the cause of death wasn't specified?" Ren asked. I nodded.

"If the cause of death was the blows to the head from the pool cue," I began. "Then that why isn't that written in the file?" Sota shrugged.

"Maybe Monokuma got lazy?" He suggested. Monokuma stood up and pointed at the botanist.

"How dare you accuse me of that!" He snapped. "I put a lot of care and effort into those files! There's no way I'd forget something so important! I need to provide you with the information you need!"

"Then what was the cause of death?" Sota asked. Monokuma sat back down.

"It's a secret." He said. Michiyo sighed.

"But what Yui is saying is just speculation." She said monotonously. "There's nothing proving that it wasn't the pool cue."

Just speculation? Oh really?

"No! That's Wrong!" I shouted. Michiyo jumped.

"You don't have to be so rude about it." She said. Whoops. Guess I got carried away.

"Sorry." I said. "It's just that there's evidence proving it. We found the pool cue and blood on the carpet near the door, which means that that is probably where Koharu was hit. If the blows to the head were the cause of death, then why was she sitting on the couch when we found her?" Missa put up her hand.

"Maybe the killer moved the body?" She suggested. Ren shook his head.

"There were no signs that the body had been moved." He argued. "There would also be no reason. What is there to gain from moving the body to the couch?" Saruwatari tilted his head to the side.

"Well, what if Koharu moved there?" He asked.

Could she have done that?

"She died instantly." I said. "So that's not a possibility."

"In that case," Sota began. "If the pool cue wasn't the cause of death, then what was?"

What else could have killed Koharu? I thought back to what I had found at the crime scene.

"She might have been poisoned." I suggested. Ren's eyes lit up.

"That's it!" He exclaimed. Akio jumped from the sudden exclamation.

"What is!?" He asked.

"When we were investigating, we found a cup at Koharu's feet." Ren explained. "The smell seemed familiar, and I just remembered what it is." Michiyo sighed.

"Then stop beating around the bush and say it." She snapped. Ren nodded.

"The smell was poison." He answered.

"Then the cause of death was the poison in the cup." I said. "Not the blows to the head."

"That would make the most sense." Ren agreed. "But then that creates a problem. Why did the killer hit her on the head, and _then_ poison her?"

"Maybe it will be easier to figure out the killer's thoughts if we have a better idea of who they are." Saruwatari suggested. He looked over to me. Was he trying to tell me something? Oh, right! The ace up our sleeve. Or, in my pocket would be more accurate. I didn't want to accuse her, but it was the only lead we had.

"Well, one suspect is Missa." I said. Missa's head snapped up.

"Me!?" She asked. Saruwatari nodded.

"We found your name written in blood in a magazine, and Koharu's finger had blood on it." He explained. "So in other words..." He let his voice trail off. Akio decided to finish the statement.

"Koharu left a dying message!" He exclaimed.

"But didn't she die instantly?" Michiyo asked. Ren shook his head.

"If we're assuming the cause of death was poison, then there would have been some time between when she was attacked and when she consumed the poison." He said.

"So then, Missa is the one who attacked Koharu?" Akio asked. This time, Missa shook her head.

"But that's impossible!" She exclaimed. "I'm not the killer!" Michiyo crossed her arms.

"Do you have any proof?" She asked.

"I left before Koharu got there!" Missa blurted out. She quickly covered her mouth, obviously not meaning to say that.

"So you were at the rec room today?" I asked. Missa sighed and lowered her hands.

"Yes. I was." She admitted. "But I was there at 2:30. I was nowhere near the room at the time of death." Akio tilted his head to the side.

"Why were you there?" He asked.

"I was told to go there." Missa answered. Ren fixed his glasses before turning to the pianist.

"Told by who?" He asked. Missa took a small piece of paper out of her pocket.

"By whoever wrote this note." She answered. Sota seemed to get nervous.

"Note?" He asked. Missa nodded.

"Someone slid it underneath my door this morning." She explained. It says _"Come to the rec room at 2:30. I need to talk to you. It's important. Also, please don't tell anyone about the meeting_ ""

That didn't seem suspicious at all.

"Do you know who sent it?" I asked. Missa shook her head.

"No. I don't. Sorry." She said.

"So you were called to the rec room, and you went?" Ren asked. Missa sighed and nodded her head.

"Yes." She answered. "But no one was there, so after about ten minutes, I left." I noticed that Sota seemed more nervous than confused now.

"That's weird" He said under his breath. Apparently I wasn't the only one who had heard him.

"What's weird?" Ren asked. Sota's head snapped up and he started smiling like an idiot.

"Oh! Um... Nothing! Hahaha." He said nervously. Saruwatari raised an eyebrow.

"Sota? You're acting kind of suspicious." He said. Sota looked around at all of us, and we all stared back. It didn't take long for him to break.

"Fine! I'll talk! I got a note too okay!" He confessed.

"What?" Ren said. Sota nodded and took the note out of his pocket.

"Yeah. I got one, and it said the same thing as Missa's." He said, showing the note to all of us. "Only, mine said to meet at 2:00. Not 2:30."

"Did you go?" Saruwatari asked. Sota nodded.

"Yeah." He replied. "But no one was there, so I left."

That's what Missa had said as well.

"What if he's lying!?" Akio asked. "What if he's the killer?"

Could both Missa and Sota be lying?

"If he had stayed, then Missa would have seen him when she went to the rec room." I argued.

"Oh. Yeah." Akio replied. "Sorry." Ren sighed.

"Before we continue, did anyone else get a letter from this mystery person?" He asked. "No? Okay, so in that case, both of you were called to the rec room, but left before Koharu arrived?" Both Missa and Sota nodded. "In that case?" Ren continued. "Why was Missa's name written in blood?"

"Because she's the killer." Michiyo said bluntly. "Isn't it Koharu's dying message? Like what happened with Koizumi?" I shook my head.

"I don't think that's the case." I said. "Because if we're assuming that Missa is the killer, then something doesn't make sense." Everyone stared at me, silently waiting for me to explain.

"How did Missa get out?" I asked. Saruwatari nodded slowly.

"Oh yeah! That's right!" He said. "The room was locked when we got there."

"That's easy!" Sota exclaimed. "She broke the window and opened the door!"

"Sorry Sota." I replied. "But it was Ren that broke the window when we discovered the body."

Sota had been proud of his answer, but his shoulders slumped with my reply.

"Oh." He said. I felt kinda bad for him.

"Regardless of who broke the window," Ren said, "We may have a locked room murder on our hands." Michiyo crossed her arms. She almost seemed to be bored with the trial.

"I've spent quite a lot of time in that room." She said. "And I can say with complete certainty that the door is the only way out." Missa seemed to be feeling a bit more confident now.

"That means I'm innocent right?" She asked. "If there's no way for the killer to get out, then the killer would have had to still be in there when you broke in." Akio nodded.

"Was there anyone in there when you guys broke in?" He asked. Saruwatari shook his head.

"No." He answered. "The only person who was in there was..." His face suddenly became pale as he realized what this meant. Unfortunately, I had figured it out as well.

"Koharu." I said, finishing the sentence." Sota frowned.

"So that means that... Koharu is the killer?" He asked. Michiyo seemed to be interested now. Interested, but not happy.

"Are you saying she committed suicide?" She asked. I didn't want that to be the truth, but...

"It would solve the problem of a locked room murder." I said. Ren nodded.

"It could also explain the notes." He added. "It's just speculation, but perhaps Koharu wanted to speak with you both before she made the attempt, but then she decided against it and didn't show up." Sota shook his head. I could tell he didn't want to believe it either.

"Why would she want to talk to us?" He asked. This stumped Ren for a moment.

"Maybe she wanted you to talk her out of it." He suggested.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"But, Koharu doesn't seem like the kind of person who would commit suicide!" I argued. Saruwatari shook his head.

"Well, it's not always obvious you know?" He said. "She might have just been hiding how she was really feeling from us."

No... No! There had to be something!

"But what about the magazine?" I asked. "Why would she write down Missa's name?" This time, Michiyo answered.

"She was probably trying to take us all down with her by making it seem like Missa was the killer." She said.

It couldn't be the truth.

"But Koharu... she would never..."

"It's probably the same as what happened with Mayu." Akio said. I shook my head.

"I still refuse to believe it!" I said. "Why... why would she..." I tried to think of something I could say to prove them wrong. Some evidence that I could present. Anything that I could do. I refused to accept that it was a suicide.

"Why would she hit herself in the head?" I asked. This seemed to stump them. I had convinced them! I knew it couldn't be a suicide. But then... Saruwatari spoke.

"Well, she was always talking to her, _friends,_ right?" He asked. "They were probably trying to talk her out of it, so she hit her head to make them disappear."

Everyone nodded. I had nothing left. Did Koharu really commit suicide? Once again, Saruwatari was the first to speak.

"So to make sure we've got things straight, lets go over the case from the beginning." He said. "Koharu sent notes to both Missa and Sota, asking them to meet her in the rec room. She was planning on committing suicide, and most likely wanted them to talk her out of it. However, she didn't show up. This is most likely because she was getting the poison, or had decided 100% that she was going to go through with it. Once they left, Koharu headed to the rec room. She prepared the poison, pouring it into the Styrofoam cup with water and blocking the door. However, subconsciously, she was still uncertain, and her hallucinations tried to convince her to not do it. To silence them, she hit herself on the head with the pool cue. Discombobulated, she made her way to the coach, where she prepared to drink the poison. But first, she decided to take us down with her. She wrote down Missa's name on the paper to make us think she was the killer. She then drank the poison, dying instantly and dropping the cup. Soon after, I saw her in the rec room, got Ren and Yui, and, we all know the rest."

The room was silent once Saruwatari finished the explanation. None of us wanted to believe that it was a suicide. We didn't want to admit it. The silence was broke when Monokuma stood up on his throne.

"I'm going to take your silence as a sign that it's voting time!" He said. "Use the lever to your side to choose who you think did it! Will you choose the right one? Or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna be!?"

We pulled the levers and the screen came down. The slot machine image began and the face that came up was... Monokuma's? He began laughing. He had never laughed before during this part of the trial.

"You're absolutely, 100%, undeniably..."

I felt my muscles tighten as I realized that something wasn't right. As I heard _him_ say that word, my blood ran cold.

"Wrong."


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 30

"What!?" I exclaimed. "What do you mean we're wrong?"

I felt a strange mixture of relief and fear. Koharu hadn't committed suicide, but at the same time...

"Wrong! Incorrect! Mistaken! Fallacious! Not the correct answer! Wrong!" Monokuma replied.

"Wait!" Sota shouted, cutting off the walking thesaurus. "But if it wasn't a suicide then, who killed Koharu?"

That was right. If it wasn't a suicide then one of us killed her. While we waited for Monokuma to answer, I heard a slow, blood chilling laugh behind me. It slowly grew more intense until it was practically maniacal.

"I did! You idiot." Saruwatari revealed.

"I-Idiot?" Sota stuttered. Saruwatari tilted his head to the side, nodding slowly.

"Yep. Idiot." He said bluntly. "You guys are a bunch of gullible, unintelligent, pathetic idiots."

This wasn't like Saruwatari at all! Just like Mayu, it was like he was a different person entirely. He started to laugh again.

"I can't believe you guys actually fell for that!" He said once he caught his breath. Then his face became neutral. "You have no idea how tiresome it is to play such a boring character day after day!"

We all stared at the boy before us, completely dumbfounded. I had no idea how to react to this. Apparently Akio didn't either.

"I'm so confused." He said. "What is going on?" Saruwatari sighed.

"Fine. If I have to explain it." He said. "The Saruwatari you guys have been talking to this whole time, was just an act! There's no way I'd actually be someone so _quaint_ and _nice_ and just so, so boring!"

His face scrunched up as he talked about his other persona. Had that really been an act? Or maybe this was just a nervous breakdown. Yeah! That had to be it.

"Your personality aside," Ren said. "You're telling us that you killed Koharu? But how? All the evidence pointed to suicide." Once again, Saruwatari sighed, seeming more annoyed than bored this time.

"Do I really have to explain every little thing to you losers?" He asked. "Fine. I sent notes to Sota, Missa and Koharu. Sota and Missa came and left just like they said, then I hid in the rec room. When Koharu got there, I knocked her out with the pool cue, and used the blood to leave the message. Since she was super gullible, she believed me without a second thought when I told her someone had attacked her and ran off. I helped her to the couch and gave her the cup. Then I gave her these instructions."

His face changed to the relaxed, kind Saruwatari we had known before.

"Koharu, the killer may still be out there. I'm going to get help, but when I'm gone, block the door with the chair and don't open it for anyone but me. Also, drink this. It will help with the head ache."

Once again, Saruwatari's face changed.

"I told her to sit down when she drank it, since it might make her sleepy. Then I left to get tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber over there." He pointed at Ren and I. "They did exactly as expected, and Koharu played her part perfectly as well."

So Saruwatari had manipulated all of us? He had manipulated Koharu? Using her trust to his advantage? Why? Why would he do this?

"Why are you acting like this, Saruwatari?" I asked. Saruwatari held up his arms when he answered, almost as if he were praising something.

"To avenge my greatest love, Junko Enoshima." He said, before lowering his arms again. "There's no need to tell you more than that. You're all going to be dead soon anyways."

"Then does this mean..." Missa began. "Saruwatari, are... are you the mastermind?"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!" Saruwatari said loudly, making Missa jump. "We've got a winner! You are absolutely correct Missa!" He started laughing, pointing at the pianist.

"Oh! You should see the look of despair on your face! It's priceless!" He said. Ren shook his head. He looked about as confused as I felt.

"But, if you're the mastermind, then who's controlling Monokuma?" He asked. Saruwatari stopped laughing, becoming serious once again.

"If you just _need_ to know, then I guess I can tell you." He said, like a little boy desperate to share a juicy secret. "He's being controlled by my sister. Junko Enoshima!"

What? How did that even make any sense?

"But isn't that the girl you're avenging?" Michiyo asked. "How can you avenge her if she's still alive?"

Saruwatari answered with a groan.

"Why do you guys keep asking so many questions!?" He asked. "It's so lame! Why this, why that, blah blah blah! Just _shut up_ already!"

We wouldn't need to ask so many questions if he would just give us a straight answer.

"We just want to know why you would do this!" I said. "We didn't kill your friend, so why are you taking this out on us?" Saruwatari laughed and began praising the invisible object again.

"It's my sacrifice to the Ultimate Despair!" He answered. "For Junko Enoshima will never truly die so long as despair exists in this world!" He turned to one of the cameras.

"Your time is up!" He said. "Now, I've prepared some very special punishments for these _students._ " He turned to Monokuma. "Right Monokuma?"

All eyes turned to Monokuma. The bear was silent, and it almost looked like he had shut down. All of a sudden, he sprang back to life.

"Everyone run to the elevator! I'll stop him!" He shouted.

"What!?" Saruwatari exclaimed. I agreed. That wasn't like Monokuma at all. But I didn't have time to question it. Using the confusion to our advantage, we ran to the elevator. It went back up to the surface. We were in there for what seemed like an eternity. When the doors opened again, Akio was the first to step outside.

"Where should we go?" He asked. Ren started running towards the train station.

"Follow me." He said, waving us over. At the train station, he jumped onto the tracks before doubling over. Was he having an attack? He took out his inhaler and began to use it.

"Get... to the... bunkers." He said between breaths. We continued running, Akio carrying Ren over his shoulder. As we climbed onto the fifth train station, Missa pointed at one of the cameras.

"What about the cameras?" She said.

"We'll just have to break them." I answered.

"If we spilt up, we can cover more ground." Michiyo suggested. I nodded.

"We don't need to break all of them." I said. "Just enough that it will be harder to find us." They all nodded and split up. Akio stopped me and put Ren down.

"I can reach the cameras easier than you." He said. "Take Ren to the bunker and keep an eye on him."

I nodded and Akio ran off. I offered Ren my shoulder for support, but he shook his head.

"I can walk." He said.

We headed over to the bunkers as quickly as we could. I broke some cameras on the way. We both climbed into the closest bunker and closed the door. I broke the camera there as well. Ren seemed to have caught his breath, but I still made him sit down on one of the beds. It didn't take long for everyone to get there.

"Are you all okay?" I asked. They all nodded. Missa pointed to the now locked door.

"There are Monokumas all over the place." She said.

"Did they follow you here?" Ren asked. Michiyo shook her head.

"I don't think so." She answered. "I know that I got here without them spotting me."

The others nodded, saying it was the same for them. I sighed.

"But it's probably only going to be a matter of time before they find us." I said. We all sat for a bit, making ourselves comfortable on the beds, but still alert.

"I just can't believe what just happened." Missa said after a bit. "Is Saruwatari really... was that really him?" Ren nodded.

"It seems that the Saruwatari we met at the beginning of this whole ordeal wasn't his true persona." He said. "The real Saruwatari Kureno was the person we saw at the end of that trial."

Once again we all sat in silence. How had we all been fooled by his act? He had been a source of hope for all of us. He had done so much for everyone, figuring things out in the class trials, cheering us up when we were sad. And now... Had all of that really been fake?

"Well, we don't have time to just sit around." Sota said. "We need to get out of here!" Michiyo shook her head.

"We've been trying to get out of here since day one." She said. "It's not possible."

We heard a rustle outside. Something was moving around near the entrance. It was muffled, but I could still make out Monokuma's voice.

"Where are you rule breakers?" He asked. "You can't escape your punishments!"

"He's right outside!" Akio said. Ren covered the carpenters mouth.

"Then keep your voice down you idiot." He said. Akio nodded and Ren lowered his hand. He seemed to be deep in thought for a moment.

"The only thing I can think of if the class trial room." He said in a hushed tone. "Maybe there's a way out there." Missa shook her head.

"I'm pretty sure the only way in and out of the courtroom is through the elevator." She said before we heard another rustle outside. We all froze until the footsteps moved away. It seemed like whatever miracle that had caused him to save us in the class trial had passed now.

"Then what are we going to do?" Sota asked once it was silent again. Missa gestured to the door.

"What if someone distracted the Monokumas?" She asked.

"And then what?" I replied. "We don't have anywhere to go."

Before anyone could respond to what I had said, the monitor flickered to life. We all jumped at the sound of Monokuma's voice.

"Ahem. This is a Public Service Announcement." He began. "For the wanted criminals hiding out in the city, I have some important information for you. So listen up! Before coming to this city, none of you knew each other. I didn't wipe your memories at all! None of you ever stepped foot inside Hopes Peak Academy."

What the heck was he talking about? He was the one who had told us that our memories had been wiped. Why was he suddenly changing what he said?

"He must be trying to trick us." Sota said. The monitor turned on again.

"You're probably saying "He must be trying to trick us," but I can honestly say that this is definitely the truth." Monokuma said. "You guys aren't students! You're members of the Future Foundation! The school shut down right before your first year. I guess you guys just have rotten luck huh. Now, if you're curious as to what this all means, then come out and I'll tell you! If not, I will find you eventually anyways. Seeya! Puhuhu!"

This time, the monitor stayed off.

"What the heck is the Future Foundation?" Akio asked. Now seemed like a good time to tell them what I had found, since Monokuma was after me anyways.

"I've heard of them." I said. All eyes turned to me. I explained what I had found. About the Future Foundation leaving the city to defend itself, and then I told them about Monokuma stealing the book and letter. They all listened patiently and in the end Ren was the first to speak.

"So you didn't get a chance to read the journal?" He asked. I shook my head. Ren sighed. "Then it must have had some important information in it."

"Not to mention the fact that the Future Foundation Members are complete jerks!" Akio said. "Monokuma said that we're part of a corporation like that?" Missa shook her head.

"That can't be true!" She exclaimed. "After all, there would be no reason to join. There's no way Hopes Peak Academy shut down. Monokuma has to be lying."

She was right. If Monokuma was lying about stealing our school memories, then three years hadn't gone by. If that was the case, then Hopes Peak would still be open.

"You're right!" I said. "This is probably exactly what Monokuma wants! He's trying to confuse us!"

"Well he definitely succeeded." Sota groaned. Michiyo sighed.

"We can worry about all this later." She said. "Right now, we need to focus on the current situation."

"Michiyo is right." Ren agreed. "We need to figure out a way out of here." He stopped talking and started sniffing the air, a look of concern on his face.

"Does anyone smell that?" He asked. I started sniffing as well.

"It smells like... gas?" I said. Sota yawned.

"It wasn't me..." he said, his voice trailing off. My head started going fuzzy and my vision blurred. Before I knew it, I was falling, both to the floor and into a deep sleep.

Everything went black.


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 31

I felt a cold wind on my face. That was an unfamiliar feeling. The large city walls usually blocked all of the wind. Wondering where I was, I moved my arms to rub my eyes. Or, I would have if I could move my arms. I opened my eyes, instantly awake and alert. Obviously, I was in a dangerous situation.

Looking around, I saw that I was strapped to a chair. The sun was bright and the wind was biting at my skin. On either side of me the others were strapped to chairs as well, still unconscious. In front of us was something that looked like a large screen, similar to the one that showed the executions in the trial room. However, the most prominent feature of this new area, was the fact that it was extremely high up. I was able to look slightly behind me, and I soon realized that we were at the top of the wall in the centre of the city. All of the dividing walls converged into one place, creating a sort of tower looking structure.

I almost screamed when I realized that out chairs were right at the edge of the wall, but I managed to stop myself. It seemed that Sota couldn't.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Apparently he had woken up and seen the same thing as me. His scream woke up the others and while they didn't scream, they did have the same panicked look on their faces.

"Geez." Saruwatari said, appearing from behind the screen. "There's no reason to shout. It's just a 100m drop." He started laughing. No doubt because of the look of fear in our eyes.

"100 metres!?" Akio asked. "But that's 328 feet!"

How did he? Well, I suppose the Ultimate Carpenter would work in imperial. Not metric.

"Why are we up here?" Michiyo asked. "I thought you were going to execute us?" Saruwatari shrugged and walked up to her.

"I was _going_ to." He said. "But that would be _soooo_ boring! I thought that we should have a bit of fun instead!" I saw Michiyo try to kick Saruwatari, but unfortunately her legs were fastened to the chair. Missa on the other hand, seemed to scared to move.

"F-Fun?" She asked. Saruwatari clapped his hands together, a cheerful grin on his face.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed. "We're going to play a game! It's a really fun game!"

"And what do we get if we win?" Ren asked.

"You get to live!" The Mastermind answered.

What? Had I heard that right?

"We get to... live!?" I asked. Saruwatari nodded several times and pointed to the centre of the tower.

"Yep! There's an elevator in the middle here that will bring you to the exit." He said.

Looking over, I saw that he wasn't lying. There was a circle shaped indent on the ground, that looked like it was detached from the rest of the tower. I felt more hopeful just by looking at it. Ren on the other hand, didn't seem impressed.

"I'm almost afraid to ask." He said. "But what happens if we lose?"

Saruwatari's lips curled into a smirk.

"Do you think I chose this location for the view?" He asked sarcastically. "If you lose, your chair will lean back and you'll fall of the ledge!" Sota looked over his shoulder at the extreme fall.

"You could get really hurt if you fell from this high!" He said. Missa looked over at him.

"I think that you would die, Sota" She replied.

"So if we win we get to leave, and if we lose we die?" I asked. Saruwatari nodded.

"Yep! It's that simple!" He said cheerfully. Akio sighed.

"What do we have to lose?" He said. "If we don't play he's probably going to kill us right?" Ren nodded before turning back to Saruwatari.

"Fine Saruwatari." He said. "We'll play your game." Saruwatari grinned and clapped his hands together again.

"Okay!" He exclaimed. "In that case, let's explain the rules!" He walked over to a chair on the opposite side of the tower.

"I'll be participating in the game too since I'm technically still a student. Or... I guess student wouldn't be right. Either way, take it away Monokuma!"

Monokuma appeared from behind the screen. He had a microphone in his hand and was wearing a suit.

"Alright!" He said. "Welcome To Are You Smarter Than An Ultimate Despair!"

What kind of name was that? Everyone seemed confused, but Monokuma just continued.

"On this show, I will ask you a series of questions." He explained. "If you get them right, you will get a point! But three wrong answers will get you eliminated, and you will be forced to vacate the premises."

"But won't Saruwatari know all the answers?" Michiyo asked. Saruwatari shook his head.

"I won't be answering them." He said. "I'm in this chair to make things fair. If you guys win, I'll be thrown off the edge."

"What!?" Missa exclaimed. That hadn't been in the agreement. Michiyo shrugged.

"Good riddance." She snapped. "I'd push him off myself if we weren't stuck here." Missa looked from her, to Saruwatari and back again.

"We can't kill him to save ourselves!" She argued.

"Why not?" Saruwatari asked. "You've been doing that to your friends the whole time? Haven't you?"

Missa was silent after that. She knew he was right. Monokuma looked around before bringing the mic to his face again.

"If your pregame chatter is finished. Let's get started!" He shouted. He hit a button and the screen flickered to life. The game's title was there for a moment before the first question popped up.

"Okay! Question one! What is the current state of the world?"

a) Everything is normal

b) Society has been destroyed by mankind

c) The world is actually a video game.

So it was a multiple choice quiz? That made things a bit easier. We would be able to use the process of elimination. It seemed like Ren was thinking the same thing.

"It's not C." He said. "There's no way something like that could be true." I nodded. That left A and B. The answer would be A right? After all, the world had been fine before we got in here. But... my mind jumped back to the letter I had found. Something had been threatening the city. There were also all of those corpses in city hall. If everything was normal, then that wouldn't be the case. Which meant.

"Is the answer B?" I asked. The screen began flashing.

"COOOORRRECT!" Monokuma shouted. "The world has been destroyed by despair induced riots, violence and other such activities."

"What!?" Akio said. "That can't be true!" Monokuma shook his head and held up a book. It was the journal I had found in the mayor's office.

"It's definitely true!" Monokuma said, flipping through the pages of the book. "This journal Yui found proves it. Ah! Here ya go!" He began reading from the journal.

" _The world has fallen into despair. So many cities have already fallen to violent riots and killing sprees. I've decided to turn this city into a safe haven. We'll build walls to keep the citizens safe and city hall will act as a keep if those demon bears attack."_ He closed the book.

"See?" He asked. "Society has been destroyed by mankind!"

So it was true? How did we not know about something like that? Had it happened while we were in the city? No. The city was destroyed before we got here. None of this made any sense. The other looked just as confused as me. Monokuma didn't seem to care that we were confused, and moved on to the next question.

"Alright!" He said. "Question two! Who caused all of this?"

A) That cult with the eye in the triangle

B) Saruwatari Kureno

C) Junko Enoshima

Well. It obviously wasn't A. I tried to figure out an answer, but Ren beat me to it.

"The answer is C." He said. "After all. Saruwatari said he was doing all of this for her."

"COOOORRRECT!" Monokuma exclaimed. "This destruction was put into motion by Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima!"

"One girl caused all of that destruction?" Sota asked. Saruwatari nodded.

"Yep! Such beautiful despair couldn't be created by anyone other than the Ultimate Despair herself."

Ignoring him, Monokuma moved onto the next question. I wished he would give us time to just process the information he was throwing at us.

"Question three. True or false bonus! You are the first people to go through this situation. True? Or false?"

I thought back to my theory. It seemed like now was the time to test it.

"False." I said.

"COOOORRRECT!" Monokuma exclaimed. He didn't need to be so enthusiastic every time. Some footage came up on the screen. It looked like shots of Hopes Peak Academy.

"Before you guys got to the city." Monokuma began. "A television show was aired called High School Life of Mutual Killing! There, 16 high school students had to do the exact same thing you guys did!"

So we weren't the first ones after all. Monokuma took out the book again.

"And if the footage isn't enough proof, then I have the mayor's journal as well! Here's what he said about it. " _The Ultimate Despair has started airing a horrible show. The students of Hopes Peak Academy are being forced to kill each other! We've already lost the young pop star Sayaka Maizono."_ Monokuma flipped ahead a bit. " _More and more students are dying in the show, and to make things worse, the demon bears are coming dangerously close to the city. I keep telling the citizens that they'll be safe but... I know that's a lie. Soon, I may need to move everyone to the city hall. I can't do anything else for them.""_

It seemed like the corpses in the city hall had been the bloody result of that plan. Saruwatari laughed.

"I was actually a huge fan of the show that Junko aired." He admitted. "I even based my murder off one of the deaths in the show!"

"You're horrible!" Missa shouted. I agreed. Koharu's death had just been a result of his twisted adoration of this show? Did he even have a heart?

"I have a question." Ren said. "What happened to the students in the show?"

Monokuma thought for a moment, and then hit another button. The screen flashed to a shot of six students. They were silhouetted against the brightness of an opening door, but it was still obvious that they were teenagers.

"These six got out after Junko Enoshima was executed." Monokuma explained.

Junko was executed? But I thought Saruwatari said she was controlling Monokuma? Apparently, Michiyo had noticed this contradiction too.

"That makes no sense." She said. "I thought that Junko was controlling you?" Monokuma laughed.

"Don't try to skip ahead!" He said. "It'll make sense after the next question."

He hit the button and the screen switched to question four.

"How is Junko Enoshima still here?" Monokuma asked.

A) Her brain was transplanted into a different body

B) She's immortal

C) She was brought back to life with magic

Did this one even qualify as a question? Two of the answers weren't even possible.

"The answer is A" I said.

"COOORR-"

"Yes Correct. We get it." Michiyo said, cutting Monokuma off. Monokuma seemed to pout for a moment, but then the energy was back again.

"Yes. That's right!" He said. "Junko's brain was transplanted into a different body by... drum roll please." He pointed over to the solitary chair across from us. "Saruwatari Kureno! The Ultimate Doctor!"

So he had even lied about his talent? With every passing second I hated him more and more.

And if they had transplanted Junko's brain into a different person's body, then what had happened to the original brain? Had he killed someone just to keep her alive? I suppose that wouldn't be surprising.

It was strange though. With every question, I was becoming less and less surprised by the answer. Was I just unable to believe these things anymore? Or was I just accepting the fact that things were messed up now and that I just had to ride this out until the end?

"Question five." Monokuma said, moving on. "If Junko's alive, then what's the problem?"

A) The body is rejecting the brain.

B) Junko's consciousness is needed.

C) All of the above.

Yet again, I found myself confused by the question. Did Monokuma want us to win? The answers were way too obvious. Why put an "all of the above" choice if it wasn't the answer?

"All of the above." I answered. Missa nodded.

"Does anyone else think these questions are too easy?" She asked. So I wasn't the only one who thought that.

"Too easy?" Monokuma asked. "I can up the difficulty if you want!" Missa shook her head. The easier this was, the better, right? After all, if we won, we got to leave! Though I still couldn't shake the feeling that they were easy for a reason. What was Monokuma planning?

"You're right by the way." Monokuma said. "The new body is rejecting the brain, and to fix that we need a certain USB in the hands of the Future Foundation."

"So are you saying Junko Enoshima's consciousness is on this USB?" Ren asked. Monokuma nodded.

"It sure is!" He said. "And it's the only way to get the body to accept the brain. Otherwise we'll have more mishaps like the incident after the trial today."

Was he talking about his change of character? So that was a result of the body rejecting the brain. Perhaps it was going back to the old host's personality.

"Sixth question." Monokuma said. It seemed like his enthusiasm had completely disappeared after Michiyo's interruption. Had she hurt his feelings or something?

"Who are you?"

A) Students of Hopes Peak Academy

B) Members of the Future Foundation

C) Characters in a book

Once again, C was out. We obviously weren't characters in a book. Which left A and B. I would have answered A immediately if it weren't for what Monokuma had said in the bunker. He said we were all members of the Future Foundation. I looked over at Ren. He seemed confused as well. No doubt he was thinking the same thing as me. It looked like no one else was going to answer, so I decided to take a leap of faith.

"Is the answer B?" I asked. We had three strikes, so it would be fine if we got just one wrong. To my surprise, Monokuma's enthusiasm came back.

"COOOORRRECT!" He exclaimed. "All of you are members of the Future Foundation!"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Akio asked. I agreed. I had chosen B because of what Monokuma had said, but I didn't want it to be true. Were we really members of a horrible group like that?

"You guys work for the Future Foundation. Monokuma said. "In fact, that's what got you into this situation in the first place! You guys are technically hostages. The cameras around the city, weren't just for me to see the murders. This entire thing was being broadcasted to the Future Foundation as a motivation. When they sent us the USB, the game would end!" Monokuma laughed, looking at one of the cameras. "But the Future Foundation abandoned you guys just like they abandoned this city."

"No! That's not true!"

I looked over to the source of the objection. That wasn't a voice I recognized. It had come from one of the walls branching off from the tower. Running towards us was a young woman in a white dress shirt, grey shorts and black tights that matched her tie. She had brown hair pulled up into a ponytail and seemed pretty muscular. I was surprised to see her, but apparently not as surprised as Monokuma.

"Swim freak!?" He asked in a shocked tone. I guess the two of them knew each other. Apparently Saruwatari knew her too.

"It's you!" He exclaimed. "It's actually you!"

The woman stopped running and looked at Saruwatari.

"Yeah. It's me." She said. "And you're the weirdo who's been showing us all those videos."

Videos? Then that meant...

"You're part of the Future Foundation?" I asked. The woman nodded.

"Yeah. I'm sorry we didn't come sooner." She said. "The higher ups wouldn't let us, but we broke the rules and came here anyways."

"We?" Missa asked. The woman nodded and a young man stepped out from behind her. I wasn't sure how I hadn't seen him before. He was wearing a black suit and had very spiky light brown hair.

"Yes." He replied. "After the final murder, I couldn't have stopped Asahina, even if I wanted to."

The woman, Asahina, pointed at Saruwatari. She seemed furious.

"That guy is a freak!" She shouted. "Copying Sakura's suicide like that. It's completely disrespectful and he needs to pay." I heard Ren sigh.

"Well, now that you're here," He said. "Wouldn't it be better to help us rather than just talking?" Asahina turned to face Ren, the anger immediately fading.

"Oh! Right." She said. "About that..." Her partner shook his head.

"All the chairs control mechanisms are attached." He explained. "It doesn't matter who wins or loses. You'll all go off the side."

So that was why the questions were so easy. Monokuma just wanted to toy with us before going through with the group execution we had escaped earlier. I noticed that Akio was practically fuming after this new information.

"Saruwatari! You were totally cheating!" He shouted. Saruwatari shook his head. He looked shocked, but there was a chance that it was just an act like before.

"I didn't have any part in that!" He said. "I made the game fair! Just like the Ultimate Despair would."

Once again, an unfamiliar voice filled the air. This time, it came from behind the screen.

"One thing you should know about the Ultimate Despair," the person said. "Is that I get bored easily."


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 32

Everyone was silent as a young girl stepped out from behind the screen. She had short black hair and mahogany eyes. She was wearing a black coloured middle school uniform with black tights and shoes. However, her most prominent feature was the bandages wrapped around her head. Saruwatari was the first to react to her sudden appearance.

"Junko!" He exclaimed.

" _This_ is Junko?" Michiyo asked. The Future Foundation member shook his head.

"No. That's Natsuki Kureno. Saruwatari's younger sister." He explained. "But she's had Junko's brain implanted into her head." Sota suddenly seemed panicked.

"So that was true!?" He asked. "Everything they said in this quiz was true? It wasn't a trick!?"

Junko, or Natsuki I suppose, walked up to Sota.

"Why would I try to trick you guys when the truth creates so much more despair?" She asked. Asahina sighed.

"As much as I wish it wasn't true, she was telling the truth." She said. Missa looked just as panicked as Sota now.

"Then... then the world really has been taken over by despair?" She asked. Asahina nodded. I looked over at Ren, expecting him to be panicked as well, but... he seemed to be almost angry instead.

"More importantly." He said. "You were all watching this this entire time, and didn't even try to interfere?" Now it was time for the Future Foundation members to become panicked. Asahina shook her head.

"It's not that simple!" She said defensively. "We were told that we couldn't go and help you guys!" The boy nodded.

"Trust us!" He said. "We understand what you went through. Better than anyone in fact."

Trust them? After everything that had happened, and the letter, and what I had seen so far, I found that to be a difficult thing to do but... what had he said? That they'd understand better than anyone?

"Are you guys are the survivors of the School Life of Mutual Killing?" I asked. Surprisingly, it was Saruwatari that answered.

"Yes! They are!" He said excitedly. "That's Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimmer! And Makoto Naegi! The Ultimate Hope!" Makoto blushed.

"Well actually, I'm just the Ultimate Lucky student." He said. "The Ultimate Hope title was just kind of given to me afterwards." I heard Sota struggling against his restraints.

"I don't care if you're the Ultimate Janitor!" He said. "Just get us out of here already!"

"Don't even fucking think about it!" Natsuki snapped. Wow. Had she switched personalities or something? She seemed very aggressive now. The girl pointed at Makoto and Asahina.

"If you or the swim freak step foot on this tower, I'll drop all of them." Natsuki threatened. The two of them had been moving closer, but now they froze. Akio watched this happen and then turned to Natsuki.

"That's not fair either!" He whined. Natsuki shrugged.

"They had their chance to play already. Now it's your turn." She said with a creepy smile. Suddenly, she started acting all cute and girly. Another personality change?

"You shouldn't twust them anyways." She said in a baby voice. "They could have saved you at any point, but they decided not too." Asahina shook her head.

"That's not true!" She said again. "We had our hands tied!" Natsuki shook her head. Now she was standing straight and had somehow put glasses on. Where had she been keeping them?

"That's not what I'm talking about." She said maturely. "I'm referring to the USB in Makoto's jacket pocket."

"The USB that Saruwatari needed?" Ren asked. Michiyo glared at Makoto.

"The reason that all of this started in the first place is just sitting in Hope boy's pocket?" She asked.

"Yep!" Natsuki replied cheerfully. The glasses were gone again. "And he wasn't even going to mention it! You wanna know why? It's the same reason the Future Foundation just left you guys to die. You guys are absolutely worthless!"

"What?" I asked. She had said it so cheerfully that I almost hadn't heard the insult.

"You're nothing but a bunch of snot nosed, gullible, non important kids!" Natsuki replied. "You never served any purpose to the Future Foundation. In fact, when we got you guys the Foundation didn't care at all."

"Wait." Akio said. "What!? Is that true?" We all turned to Makoto and Asahina. Asahina rubbed her neck nervously.

"Well, I guess it kind of is." She admitted. "The Future Foundation took you guys in because they were low on numbers." She stopped rubbing her neck and a determined glint appeared in her eye. "But, it doesn't change anything! You guys aren't worthless!"

None of us reacted. We were to busy thinking about what Natsuki had said.

"You guys thought you were so special." She said before changing her tone to mock us. " _We're so special! We're Ultimates! Monokuma said we went to Hopes Peak Academy!_ " Her voice went back to normal. "But the truth is that you guys are worthless. You never even stepped foot in Hopes Peak Academy. You all just wanted to believe you were special, so you desperately grasped onto the idea that you were Ultimates. Your lives, your relationships, your personalities, all worthless."

We were all silent again. Natsuki smile, no doubt she was happy with the despair in our minds.

She was right though. All my life I had been average. I knew that I'd never amount to anything and I avoided situations where I had to prove myself like they were the plague. I didn't even have a talent like the others. The only reason I was even accepted to Hopes Peak was because of the draw. And then I didn't even get to go.

I looked around at the others. Their faces were full of despair. Makoto and Asahina had pity in their eyes but... also recognition. As if this scenario seemed familiar to them. Natsuki sighed.

"Perhaps you should all just give up." She said. "If you'd like, I can just end your worthless lives right here. All I need to do is press this button, and it can be over."

She pulled a butting out of her pocket. Maybe it would be for the best if we all just fell together. It wouldn't change anything after all.

...

No! What was I thinking? We couldn't die. Dying wouldn't solve our problems, we'd just be running away from them! That's what Natsuki wanted. She wanted despair. She wanted to win. No. She wasn't going to win. We weren't going to give up hope. We weren't worthless.

I looked at the others. They all seemed miserable. I heard Sota mumbling to himself next to me.

"Maybe she's right." He said. "I mean, I'm just an idiot! I never helped any of you. How can someone as stupid as me be useful to anybody?"

"No! That's wrong!" I exclaimed, causing him to jump. "Sota, you're one of the most kindhearted people I've ever met! You spent your entire life helping others. Helping your brother, your mother, and then helping all of us to not lose hope in here! You aren't worthless! You have a purpose!" Sota stared at me in shock.

"Kindhearted?" He said. "Do... do you really mean that?" He thought for a moment before nodding.

"I guess you're right!" He admitted. "I mean, someone who's useless wouldn't have been able to take care of my mother right?"

"Yes! That's right!" I replied. "You gave up everything to help her! That's not something anyone could do." Sota seemed to be gaining confidence.

"Yeah!" He said. "I can't lose hope! I can't let Natsuki get to me." He smiled. "After all, there's already so much negativity in the world. There's no need to add to it." I smiled and nodded. Sota's despair had been replaced with hope. He had a purpose.

I heard Michiyo next.

"She's right. I'm worthless." The baker mumbled. "Why else would everyone exclude me? I always said that I didn't need any friends, but the truth was that couldn't have any even if I wanted to. They all thought I was worthless, and they were right."

"That's not true Michiyo!" I objected. Michiyo turned to face me.

"How is it not true?" She asked.

"You aren't alone!" I explained. "You have lots of friends! Me, Sota, Akio, Missa, Ren, we're all your friends. We don't think that you're worthless!" Michiyo looked away and shook her head.

"You're lying." She argued. "You guys don't think I'm your friend."

"Yes! We do!" I said. "Why wouldn't we want to be friends with someone as wonderful and unique as you?"

I saw her smile for a moment, but then she hid it.

"It's not like I need you to cheer me up or anything." She said. "I would have been fine without it."

I smiled. It may not have been obvious, but Michiyo had found hope again. She had purpose.

Missa was next.

"Why did she need to say that?" She asked herself. "I already know that I'm weak. All I ever do is cause trouble for people! First my parents, then everyone here, and then Isoya. I'm a weak, worthless person who can never do anything right."

"Missa! That isn't true at all." I argued. Missa shook her head.

"It is true!" She said. "I've gotten kidnapped twice in my life, and both times people got hurt because of it! I'm nothing but a burden."

"What happened wasn't your fault!" I said. "You aren't a burden Missa. In fact, you try harder than anyone else I know to help your friends. You may not be physically strong, but you have the strongest heart I've ever seen. True strength isn't physical, it's being able to endure hardships and pick yourself up once they're over!"

"True strength is..." Her voice trailed off as she thought about what I said. She nodded and smiled. "Thank you Yui! I guess I'm not as worthless as I thought. It feels nice knowing that."

I could see the hope practically radiating out of her. She had found a purpose. Now three of them were back to their old selves. Akio was next

"Did... did even he think I was worthless?" He said. "Did our relationship mean nothing?"

"Akio!" I said, snapping him from his thoughts. "If you treated you boyfriend like you treat Ren, then I know that he didn't think you were worthless! You love him and I'm sure he loves you back! You can't lose hope! You need to get out of here and find him! He's waiting for you!"

Akio was silent for a moment before he nodded slowly.

"Yeah! What am I thinking?" He said. "Real men don't wallow in self pity like this!" He smiled.

"Thanks Yui." He said. "For a girl, you aren't to bad."

"Thanks?"

Akio frowned for a moment and then shook his head.

"Or, I guess I should say that, you're a good friend." He said. "Thanks."

Then that left Ren. He was directly to my right.

"I couldn't save him." He said with tears in his eyes. "I couldn't even save my own brother. He had so much potential, and I voted for him to die to save my own life. She's right. I... I'm worthless! How could someone so rotten have any kind of worth? I... couldn't save any of them."

"That's wrong!" I argued. "Kinji's death wasn't your fault! No one's death was your fault! You did everything you could to protect all of us! If weren't for you figuring things out in each class trial, we wouldn't even be here. And yes, we voted for them to die, but to make up for it, we need to get out of here. For them. We can't throw away the lives that we've fought so hard to keep! We can't give up hope!" Ren smiled and shook his head.

"You really are like him." He said before turning his head towards me. "But at the same time, you're not. You have something special Yui. I... no... _we_ wouldn't have made it this far without you too."

I smiled in return. The despair that Natsuki had tried to infect our minds with was completely gone now. We were going to make it through this. We weren't worthless. We had a purpose. We needed to live the lives that our friends died to save.

"Wow!" Natsuki said. "That was... _really_ boring! Honestly, I think I'm going to barf from how cheesy that was! Geez! You sound like _him._ " She pointed at Makoto who seemed surprised.

"Me?" He asked. Aahina nodded.

"She has a point."

I shook my head. Natsuki wasn't going to beat us this time.

"There's nothing you can do Natsuki." I said. "We aren't going to fall into despair."

Unaffected by what I had said, Natsuki smirked, holding the button in her hand.

"Even if you can't fall into despair, you can still fall to the ground." She teased.

"Wait!" Saruwatari said. "But I'll fall too! Are you really going to kill me after everything I did for you?" Natsuki shrugged.

"Of course!" She said. "I didn't ask you to do any of this. I'm grateful, really. But I don't really need you anymore." I saw a look of despair in Saruwatari's eyes. Surprisingly though, he started laughing.

"To be rejected by the queen of despair!" He said. "I almost wish that you would kill me now, so that this despair will be the last thing I ever feel."

"Please don't tempt her." Sota said.

"You know. I have an idea!" Natsuki said after a moment. "Let's make things more interesting." She pointed at me with a crazy look in her eyes.

"You're so full of hope and sunshine." She said. "But are you actually good? I have a feeling that when push comes to shove, you're just as selfish as me."

"What are you talking about!?" Sota asked. Missa nodded.

"Yeah. Yui isn't selfish at all!" She agreed.

"I wasn't talking to you." Natsuki snapped. Without looking away from me, she pointed at Makoto.

"So Macutie over there has the USB that I need." She said. "We all know that if I get that USB, then I'll be able to be fully reborn and spread despair around the world again right?" I nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"So, here's what I'm thinking." She continued. "Right now, there's no way hope boy is going to give me the USB. He just wants to save you guys and leave. So to make things interesting, I'm going to give him what he wants. I'll let you guys go and forget about the USB under one condition."

"What's the condition?" I asked. I felt my throat going dry. Natsuki let out a quiet, sinister laugh.

"You need to sacrifice yourself!" She answered. Ren was the first to react.

"What?" He exclaimed. I heard him try to stand up, stopped by the restraints.

"She was just going on and on about your friends sacrificing themselves for all of you." Natsuki explained. "So now I'm asking her to do it. It's pretty simple isn't it? She dies, the world is saved. In fact, to be fair, I'll jump of the edge with her."

If I died then... the world would be saved?

"And what happens if she says no?" Makoto asked. Natsuki shrugged.

"Then I drop everyone but her, and I push you and swim freak off the ledge." She replied bluntly.

"That's not fair!" Asahina said. Natsuki ignored her, turning back to me. She moved closer until I could feel her breath on my face.

"So Yui. What's it going to be?" She asked. "Will you be a sacrifice and save the world? Or will you save yourself?"

I didn't want to die. But... if sacrificing myself would save them then...

"I'll sacrifice myself." I answered. Once again I heard Ren struggle against his restraints.

"What are you doing Yui?" He asked. Sota nodded.

"Yeah! You can't kill yourself!"

I closed my eyes, trying to hold in my tears. As hard as it was, I had to do this. For them.

"It's no different then us voting for the blackened!" I argued, opening my eyes again. "If you guys get to live, then it's worth it!" Natsuki rolled her eyes.

"You really do sound like him." She said, backing away from me. "Now, if you guys try anything when I let you go, then she's just going to go off the edge quicker."

She pressed some buttons and everyone's binds released. Everyone's except mine. The others reluctantly got up and walked over to Makoto and Asahina. Sota and Missa were crying and Ren looked like he would at any moment.

I felt my stomach tighten as I thought about what was about to happen. I couldn't be scared. I had to think about them instead. They were going to live. They were going to be okay. They were going to be be safe. I saw Natsuki hold the button up for dramatic effect.

"Now! I've prepared a very special punishme-" She cut herself off. Had something happened? Suddenly she grabbed her head in her hands, dropping the button to the ground.

"No. No! NO!" She shouted shaking her head violently. "Not right now! AARGH!"

She started grabbing her hair and hitting her head.

"Why are you rejecting it now!? Why!?"

I felt confused and terrified at the same time. What was going on?

"Why? Why? Why!? WHY? WHY? WHY!?" I closed my eyes as Natsuki's foot moved towards the button. If she stepped on it, then I'd fall off the ledge.

 _Click_

...

I wasn't falling? I opened my eyes and saw that the binds had opened.

"Yui!" Ren shouted. He was waving me over, the button in his hands. He must have ran over and grabbed it while Natsuki was having the breakdown. Quickly, I stood up and ran over to the others. As I ran, Asahina turned to Saruwatari, who was being held by Akio and Sota.

"Saruwatari." She said. "Is there any way to put your sister's brain back into Natsuki's head?"

Saruwatari shook his head.

"No." He replied. "Without the USB, the body is probably only going to last one more day at the most. She'll be Junko until that happens" Asahina nodded. As I reached the group, I noticed a fire in her eyes.

"In that case." She said before running over to Natsuki.

"This is for Sakura!"

She pushed Natsuki over the ledge. I looked away, but I could still hear her screaming. Asahina fell to her knees, obviously shocked by what she had done, but... now it was over.

Natsuki was gone.

We were free.


	35. Epilogue

Epilogue

A little while later, we were getting into a helicopter to make the trip back to the Future Foundation. Sota had cried for a bit, happy that I was okay. Asahina was still shocked by what she had done. I had heard her tell Makoto that all she could think of was Sakura. I wasn't sure who that was, but obviously her and Asahina had been close. We had decided to keep Saruwatari away from her in case she was still angry about what he had done.

Speaking of him, he was handcuffed and gagged so he wouldn't cause anymore trouble.

Once we were all seated, the helicopter took off. We all stared at the city that had been our prison for so long. Each section looked completely different from the others, and they were all clearly visible from up high.

"From up here, it almost looks pretty." Missa said. Akio shrugged.

"I'm just happy to be out of there." He said.

"You can say that again." Michiyo added. I put my hands in my pockets and felt something inside. Taking it out, I saw that I still had the pictures we had found. Makoto noticed me looking at them.

"Oh. You still have those?" He asked. I looked up in surprise.

"How did you..." I began, but then I realized how he would know about them. "Oh yeah. I guess you would have seen us find them."

Makoto had told me that him and the other School Life of Mutual Killing Survivors had been the ones watching the footage. I felt bad that they had had to do that. They had to see everything we had gone through and weren't able to do anything.

"So you knew these people?" I asked, handing the photos to Makoto. He nodded as he took them.

"Yeah." He answered. "Some better than others, but they were all my friends."

"I'm sorry for your loss." I said. He shrugged.

"It's not your fault." He said. "In fact, I could say the same to you." I nodded.

Truthfully, I had expected Makoto and Asahina to be rude and uncaring based on what we knew about the Future Foundation, but they had been very nice to all of us. Since Makoto was busy looking at the photos, I decided to look at the helicopter. My eyes landed on Ren, who was still staring at the city. I moved over to him.

"Is everything alright Ren?" I asked. His head snapped up to face me. He must have been deep in thought.

"Yes." He said. "I just... I was just thinking that none of them had a proper burial." I nodded. It must have been hard on him. He was leaving the last place he had been with his brother. And he hadn't even been able to say a proper goodbye. I placed my hand on his shoulder and felt his muscles tense up from the touch.

"We can have a ceremony once we're at the Future Foundation Headquarters." I suggested. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

He smiled, and once I was done talking he gently took my hand in his. I smiled and we both sat in silence, watching the city slowly disappear on the horizon.

I wondered if my family was still okay. If the world had been destroyed, then they might have been hurt. Or worse. Hopefully I'd be able to find them.

It was going to take some time to get used to what had happened. Makoto had explained that Monokuma was telling the truth about Hopes Peak shutting down before we got to go, but he had stolen away different memories instead. We had been in the Future Foundation for a whole year before we were captured, but we couldn't remember a single second of it.

I saw Makoto put the photos in his pocket.

"So we'll probably get there in a couple hours." He said "Hopefully."

"Okay hope boy." Michiyo replied. Makoto's cheeks turned red.

"My name is Makoto." He corrected. Michiyo shrugged.

"I know." She said. "I just prefer hope boy."

Makoto sighed and I looked around. All of my friends were smiling and laughing. I wasn't sure what was waiting for us at the Future Foundation. We still didn't even know what our jobs were. But no matter what life had in store for us now, I knew that we'd be able to get through it. For the sake of those we lost, and for ourselves as well, we would live, and continue living.

We wouldn't lose hope.


	36. Mayu Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate Director Mayu Akimoto**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Mayu in the dining hall.

"Hey Mayu!" I said, sitting down next to her. The director jumped when I spoke.

"Oh! Yui!" She exclaimed. "I didn't hear you come in."

I debated spending some time with Mayu. She looked like she wanted to talk. Yeah. Hanging out with Mayu could be fun.

"Sorry." I apologized. "I guess you were lost in thought or something. Were you thinking of anything specific?" Mayu shrugged.

"I was just thinking about the first movie I ever saw." She replied. "It's funny how much you think of something when you don't have access to it."

The lack of movies to watch must have really been getting to her. Perhaps talking about them would help. It would be better than not thinking about them at all.

"What movie was it?" I asked. Mayu's eyes seemed to sparkle and this time she literally jumped. Right out her chair.

"It was on June 2nd!" She said in a very dramatic tone. "I sat in the back row, so I was able to see the projector. The movie had a small protagonist, who had to go on an extremely long journey to destroy an evil item." She calmed down and sat next to me again. "There were other parts too, but it's way too long of a movie for me to explain all of it."

"It seems like this movie means a lot to you." I said. She technically hadn't answered my question, but the plot she described seemed kind of familiar. I think it was called the Lore of the Thing, or something like that. Mayu nodded.

"Yeah." She replied. "I loved the movie so much that I decided to make it my dream to become a director some day!"

I guess she was living the dream then. Not only was she directing, but she was the Ultimate Director. I couldn't help but feel happy for her. I also couldn't help but notice her fidgeting in her chair.

"Do you have something else you want to say?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Mayu said energetically. "I really want to talk more about the movie!"

Reluctantly, I told her to go ahead. I spent the next few hours listening to her ramble on enthusiastically about the plot and characters of the movie. Once she was done, I went back to my room.

It might have been tedious, but Mayu and I seemed to grow a little closer from it.

 **Event 2:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Mayu in the electronics store. She heard me come in and waved me over.

"Yui! I need your help!" She said. Was something wrong? I felt my stomach tighten as I moved over to the aisle she was in. Fortunately, there was no body there. She had had me worried for a moment.

"What do you need?" I asked. Mayu pointed at the cameras on the shelf.

"I'm looking for a specific camera to use." She said. "It's the same as the one I used as a kid and is the highest quality one money can buy."

I looked at the camera shelf. All of the cameras looked high tech to me, and I could barely tell one from the other. Looking back at Mayu, I saw a pleading look in her eyes. I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least try to look.

"What's it called?" I asked. Mayu answered without looking away from the shelf she was searching.

"A Filmpro 245 HD" She replied. I nodded and started looking at the cameras there. I decided to try to talk to make the task a little less boring.

"So you said that that was the first camera you used?" I asked Mayu nodded.

"Yeah! I got it as a gift, and I immediately started filming and editing using my family computer." She answered. That sounded like a lot of work, but it would be interesting to see the first movies of the Ultimate Director.

"What kind of movies were they?" I asked. This time Mayu did look away from the shelf.

"I would act out and film the scenes from my favourite movies! I always went all out with the sets and costumes." She said before looking at a different shelf. "After a while though, I started writing my own scripts and acted those out instead."

She must have had a lot of fun doing that. I took a breath to ask another question, but I realized that Mayu was very focused on finding the camera. I guess the conversation was over. Nodding, I turned back to my own shelf. We looked for a few hours, but still couldn't find the camera. We eventually gave up, and I went back to my room. The search wasn't a complete loss though, since Mayu and I had grown a little closer.

 **Event 3:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Mayu in the library. She was scribbling away on some paper, but stopped and waved when she noticed me.

"Hey Yui!" She said cheerfully. I walked over and sat down next to her.

"Hey Mayu." I said back. "What are you working on?"

The director quickly grabbed the papers, hiding them behind her back.

"Working on?" She said in a panicked tone. "Who's working on something? Not me! I definitely am not. Not at all! Hahaha..." Her fake laugh trailed off. I decided not to press the issue since she definitely didn't want to talk about it.

"Never mind." I said. I tried to think of a question to ask that would make this conversation less awkward. As difficult of a task as that was.

"So how did you get into the movie industry?" I asked. I couldn't think of any better questions. That would have to do. Mayu shrugged.

"Well, I started off making videos for my school. I even got to film big events like sports or concerts." She answered. So directors got to go to concerts for free? Was it too late to get into the movie industry myself?

"My first big project though," Mayu continued. "Was a music video. The pop star Sayaka Maizono went to my school, and she asked me to make one for her group. That's when I finally managed to make a name for myself in the editing and directing business."

My brain flashed back to the photo I had found in my bathroom. That had been Sayaka Maizono. I wondered what had happened to her. Why had her picture been there? No... now wasn't the time to think about stuff like that. Right now I was hanging out with Mayu.

"That's so cool!" I said. "It must have been fun spending time with famous people like that." Mayu nodded several times.

"It really was!" She said, with a huge smile on her face. She then went on to talk about the experience for a whole hour. I listened attentively. This was probably as close as I would get to meeting an actual famous person after all. I suppose there was Nori, but I didn't really feel like talking to her. Once Mayu had felt she had shared enough, we both went back to our rooms. I felt like I had grown closer to Mayu again. She was starting to become a close friend.

 **Event 4:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Mayu in the library again. This time, she wasn't scribbling away on a piece of paper, but it did look like she reading one. I walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Mayu." I said. Mayu turned around and smiled, putting the paper on the table.

"Hey Yui!" She replied. Her reply was followed by a silence as I eyed the paper over her shoulder. Mayu noticed what I was looking at and sighed.

"Fine." She said. "If you really want to know what it is, I'll tell you." She held up the paper, facing the top side towards me. On it was the title _"Do You Know Who I Am 2. Forgotten Again."_ For some reason, I recognized the title. As if she had read my mind, Mayu answered my question.

"It's a sequel to the first movie I made to make it into theatres." She explained. That was where I had heard the name! I had heard about the first movie, "Do You Know Who I Am?" in a magazine. I had no idea that Mayu had been the director of that movie. It had been extremely successful in the theatres and was even going to get a DVD release! Maybe I had underestimated Mayu's directing capabilities. It had been playing in theatres not too long ago if I remembered correctly. Well, I suppose that if what Monokuma had said about our memories was true, then it would have been longer than not to long ago. I realized that I had zoned out and that Mayu was waiting for a reply.

"You're making a sequel?" I asked. "Sorry I'm not more excited. I never saw the first one. What's it about?" Mayu's eyes seemed to sparkle. I had a feeling I had just walked into something that I wouldn't be able to escape.

"The first movie was a comedy about a girl who has amnesia and is trying to find out how to get home after waking up in a foreign country." Mayu explained. "She's helped out by a teenage boy and the two end up falling in love."

"I never took you to be the kind of person who'd make a romance film." I said. Mayu shrugged.

"You're right." She agreed. "I don't really care for romance, but that's what the audience wants. You need to keep them in mind when making movies, since you're making the movies for them."

Mayu continued to lecture me on the important things to keep in mind when making a movie. I didn't understand much of the terminology, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. Eventually, she got tired and we headed back to our rooms. I think we were growing even closer.

 **Event 5:**

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. Mayu was waiting outside.

"Hi." She said. I replied the same way. She looked like she had something she needed to say, so I let her into the room. Once she was seated on one of my chairs, she started talking.

"Hey Yui..." She began. "What do you think about the current situation?"

This had come out of nowhere. Where as she going with this?

"Well, I miss my old life." I replied. "But I also know that like it or not, we're in here. I guess I'm just trying to adapt." Mayu nodded slowly, contemplating my answer. After a bit of silence, she finally replied.

"I'm pretty optimistic about all of this." She said. "After all, every story has a happy ending. Movies with tragic endings just leave a bad taste in your mouth. They never do well."

We weren't exactly in a movie, but I understood what she was trying to say. Before I could reply though, Mayu stood up.

"I know that we're going to make it out of here!" She exclaimed. "Even if I have to do it myself. And once I'm out, I'll make a movie about all of this. It will be my way of honouring those we've lost!"

I was glad to see she was being optimistic about all of this. Her optimism was like a spark of hope in these ashes of despair. I couldn't help but smile back at the young director. After she finished speaking, Mayu walked over to me, placing something in my hand.

"Here." She said. "I got this in the Monomono machine. I want you to have it!"

I opened my hand and saw a small clapperboard key-chain. I thanked Mayu and she went back to her room. Her and I had become such close friends. I laid down on my bed after placing the key-chain on the table. Had Mayu and I been friends at Hopes Peak Academy? The thought of that being a possibility made me feel warm and happy. It made me feel hopeful.

 **Congratulations!**

 **Obtained Clapperboard Key-chain.**

 **Obtained Skill "Action!"**


	37. Sota Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate Botanist Sota Shikiba**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Sota meandering about in the classroom.

"Hey Sota!" I said. Sota smiled and turned to face me. "Hey Y-" He stopped and started mumbling to himself. "Yui! That's right! Sorry. I forgot your name for a moment."

He hadn't been kidding when he said he had a terrible memory. My name wasn't that difficult to remember right? I noticed that Sota had turned away and was now looking around on the floor.

"Did you drop something?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No." He replied. "I'm just doing some investigating. I thought it'd be a smart thing to do."

He had a point. We weren't getting out of here by sitting around twiddling our thumbs. I moved to the desk next him and knelt down to investigate the floor. Sota seemed shocked for a moment before shaking his head.

"You don't need to help me!" He said. "I don't mind doing this alone." This time I shook my head.

"It's more fun if you have company." I replied. Sota still seemed reluctant, but let me join him. We searched around for a few hours, but still couldn't find anything. After a while, I felt the need to talk. Any topic would do.

"Do you like school?" I asked. Spending all that time in the classroom must have imprinted the topic of school in my mind. It was still better than nothing. Sota shrugged.

"I never did too well in it." He said. "I would always garden instead of doing my homework."

I understood being dedicated to a hobby, but shouldn't homework come first? I went to press him a bit, but noticed him standing up and stretching.

"Well, I guess there's nothing here." He said. "That sucks. I was really hoping we would find something."

"We can always check again some other time." I suggested. "Or we could investigate somewhere else." Sota nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "In that case, I'll see you then Yui!"

With that said, he walked out the door a big grin on his face. At least he remembered my name that time. I stood up too, brushing the dust off my pants. We hadn't talked to much, but I felt like Sota and I had grown a little closer. Leaving the classroom behind me, I returned to my room.

 **Event 2:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Sota in the library. He was reading a book on plants.

"Hey Sota." I said. He jumped when I spoke. He must have been really focused on his book... nope... he had been sleeping.

"Hi Yui." The botanist said as he wiped away some drool. "Sorry. Do you need to use this book?" He held the book up to me, but I shook my head.

"No. It's okay." I said. "Though, if you don't mind me asking, what are you reading?" Sota turned the cover towards me and showed me the title. The book was _"Breeding_ _F_ _oreign_ _P_ _lants"._

"I'm trying to see if I can cross breed any of these plants." He explained, flipping through the pages.

"Why would you need to do that?" I asked. Sota sighed, closing the book.

"There's a special kind of plant I need to grow." He answered. A special kind of plant? That was pretty vague. As if he had read my mind, Sota began to explain.

"My mom is pretty sick with a rare disease." He said. "That's why my brother and I started gardening in the first place. We were trying to grow a plant that could cure her."

Was that why he said he spent his time gardening instead of doing school work? He had been trying to help his mom? Him, and his brother.

"So your brother's a gardener as well?" I asked. Sota nodded.

"Yeah." He replied. "He's even better than me actually. But even with all of his talent, we still can't get our flower to grow." He opened the book again. This time he didn't leaf through the pages.

"I'm sure you'll be able to." I reassured. "Once we get out of here, you and your brother will be able to figure it out!" Sota smiled.

"I hope so." He said. "What kind of Ultimate Botanist would I be if I couldn't even do that?"

I decided to leave him to his reading. I wasn't helping him or his mother by distracting him. After checking to make sure he had nothing else to say, I headed back to my room. Somehow, I felt like Sota and I had grown a little closer.

 **Event 3:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Sota sitting alone in the dining hall. He looked over at me when he heard me come in. Smiling, I sat down next to him.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Sota shrugged.

"I was thinking about home." He replied. "About my mom, and my brother."

I guess you couldn't help but think of home while stuck in a place like this.

"Yeah." I said. "I miss my mom and dad too. They were pretty pushy at times, but I still loved them."

That was true. They did push me to do things, but I knew that they did it to help me in the long run. If it hadn't been for them, I probably would have turned down Hopes Peak Academy. Being around all those Ultimates was a bit too much pressure for my liking. Granted, if I had turned down Hopes Peak Academy, then I wouldn't be in this situation.

"Dad..." Sota said. He had said it softly, but it was still enough to snap me from my thoughts.

"Do you miss your dad too?" I asked. Sota shook his head.

"My dad left us when mom got sick." He said. "I never knew why though."

Whoops. Now I felt like a jerk.

"I'm sorry." I said. Sota shrugged.

"You didn't make him leave." He said. "And besides. We were perfectly fine without him, so I don't really mind that he's gone."

I couldn't tell if he was in denial, or if that's how he really felt. Either way, I needed to try to cheer him up.

"By the way." I said. "I found some interesting books on gardening in one of the corners of the library. I thought you might find them interesting." Sota's eyes lit up.

"Really!?" He asked. I nodded.

"I can show you where they are." I said. Sota nodded and we headed off to the library. We spent a few hours flipping through gardening books. Sota seemed to be happier. After we had gotten through all of them, we both returned to our rooms. It had been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but I felt like we had grown closer.

 **Event 4:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Sota in the repository, looking around. He smiled when he saw me come in.

"Hey Yui." He said. "Can I ask you a question?" I nodded and walked over to him. This hadn't been what I had expected when I had gone here.

"Do you think this is what the repository in Hopes Peak Academy looked like?" He asked. Again, not what I had expected.

"Maybe?" I said. "I could see a rich school like Hopes Peak having a room like this." Sota nodded.

"I wonder if Santa ever went to the school's repository.

Santa? Like, with Christmas? This entire conversation was starting to confuse me.

"Santa?" I asked. Sota nodded.

"My brother." He replied. "Santa Shikiba."

That made a lot more sense than the Santa I had been thinking of.

"Did he go to Hopes Peak Academy too?" I asked. Once again, Sota nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "I was super proud when he got accepted." The botanist sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Though I did have to get two jobs afterwards to help support the family."

I suppose that his mother wasn't working if she was sick. Though the extra work on top of his already stressful life probably wasn't good for him. As I thought about this, Sota continued.

"But Santa said everything would be fine after he graduated." He said. "Since graduation from Hopes Peak Academy ensures success."

"That's true." I said with an encouraging smile. Sota returned the gesture.

"Well, on a different note." He said. "Do you wanna go get some food in the dining hall? I'm starving!"

I nodded and the two of us headed to the dining hall. Sota talked about the time he spent with his brother while we ate, and after he was done, we went our separate ways. I headed back to my room, happy that Sota and I had grown a little closer today.

 **Event 5:**

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. Sota was standing outside.

"Hi Yui." He said. I replied the same way. He looked like he had something he needed to say, so I let him into the room. Once he was seated on one of my chairs, he started talking.

"I have something I need to get off my chest." He said. I nodded and gestured for him to go ahead. He seemed hesitant.

"I... um..." He fumbled with the edge of the fabric on his jacket. "I'm worried about the situation we're in."

So that was it? He was just feeling a little worried?

"Don't worry Sota." I reassured. "No one else is going to die. There's no need to feel worried." Sota shook his head.

"I'm not talking about the murders." He said. "I mean... those are scary and all, but, I'm more worried about my mom." He had stopped fumbling with his jacket and now had his hands on his knees, with his eyes glued to the floor. He almost looked like a little kid when he sat like that. A little boy who needed his mother. I stood up and stood next to him, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be fine." I said. Sota shook his head again.

"But what if there's no one taking care of her?" He said, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "If what Monokuma said is true, then I'm a horrible person. I could never see myself agreeing to go to Hopes Peak Academy. I would never leave my mom alone like that."

I hadn't thought of it like that. I wasn't the only one who didn't find Hopes Peak Academy appealing. No doubt Sota had been bothered by this since Monokuma had first told us about our stolen memories. Wait... our stolen memories? Those three years...

"Sota." I said, moving in front of him so I could look him right in the eyes. "If three years have gone by, then your brother must have graduated right? I bet you he's even found a cure already!"

I had no way of knowing if this was true, but it didn't hurt to be a little hopeful. It seems like Sota felt the same way since he smiled.

"I... I guess that could be true." He said as he wiped away his tears. "Sorry for being all gloomy like that. I just... well, that's been bothering me for a while."

He stood up and put his hands in his pocket, searching around for something inside. After a moment, he found what he was looking for, and he placed it in my hand.

"I found this in the Monomono machine." He said. "I was going to give it to my mom, but I want you to have it instead. As thanks."

I opened my hand and saw a small watering can key-chain. I thanked Sota and gave him a hug before he went back to his room. The two of us had become such close friends. After placing the key-chain onto the table, I laid down onto my bed. Had Sota and I been friends at Hopes Peak Academy as well? I felt happy thinking about how that could be true. Our friendship had blossomed into something beautiful, and it helped plant a seed of hope in my heart.

 **Congratulations!**

 **Obtained Watering Can Key-chain.**

 **Obtained Skill "Green Thumb"**


	38. Akio Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate Carpenter Akio Shigehito**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I ran into Akio in the grocery store.

"Looking for something specific?" I asked him. He looked like he was hesitant to reply. After a bit of internal debate, he nodded.

"I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to buy." He said. "I've never gone grocery shopping so..." His voice trailed off. After a moment, he quickly turned to me. "Hey! You're a girl. What do you buy when you go grocery shopping?"

Well that was sexist. I almost didn't want to answer.

"My _family_ and I usually get food and toiletries when we go shopping." I emphasized the word family since my dad came with my mom and I when we went shopping. Since it was just the three of us, we all went together. Obviously, Akio saw it as a woman's role. "Did your mom do the shopping on her own?" I asked. Akio shook his head.

"I don't have a mom." He replied bluntly.

He didn't have a mom? Had she passed away? Or maybe he was one of those test tube babies I read about online. I really doubted the second one to be the truth though. I didn't need to ask for an explanation because Akio continued speaking.

"Me and my four younger brothers were raised by our two dads." He explained. "We were all adopted."

So he had pretty much been raised in an environment of nothing but testosterone. For some reason, I felt like that explained a lot.

"So your dads do the grocery shopping then?" I asked. Akio shook his head.

"Just one of them." He replied. "Koji is a construction worker, so he doesn't have time to go grocery shopping. But Takeshi is a personal trainer, so he makes his own schedule. He always leaves time for the shopping."

That made sense. Though if his dads were the ones who did the shopping, then why did he assume it was a girl's job? I felt like asking, but the thought was interrupted by Akio shrugging.

"I'll just get some shaving stuff." He said. "I don't really have to bulk buy anyways." He turned to look at me. "Guess I didn't need your help then. Men can go grocery shopping too you know."

But wasn't he the one who implied that girls do the grocery shopping? I decided to just not argue with him. I didn't have the energy to deal with that conversation. Akio went off to find the toiletries section and I went back to my room. I hadn't been able to help him, but Akio and I had still grown a little closer. Or, I knew more about him now at least.

 **Event 2:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I noticed Akio heading over to the dining hall. I ran over to him.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked, matching his pace. Akio sighed.

"I don't really like walking with girls." He said. This was starting to get annoying.

"Why are you always so sexist?" I asked. It was a bit direct, but I needed to know. Akio stopped walking.

"Well I..." He said. He sounded like he wasn't sure how to explain it. "I don't... " He sighed. "I was never taught how to properly talk to a girl."

"That's it?" I asked. Just because you don't know how to talk to someone, doesn't mean you see them as inferior. There had to be more. Akio shrugged.

"I guess there's also my dads." He replied. "I mean, if I have two dads, it must be because neither of them wanted to be with a girl. The only explanation I can think of is that that's because girls are just not as good as guys."

He started walking towards the dining hall again, and I stayed behind. So his sexist comments were just a result of him being oblivious? I sighed. I didn't feel like trying to explain what was wrong with his logic to him, so I just went back to my room. Though, he had opened up to me more, so perhaps the two of us were growing closer.

 **Event 3:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I noticed Akio. He was sitting alone in the dining hall. He also looked like he was deep in thought.

"Thinking about your family?" I asked. Akio jumped in surprise, but answered quickly afterwards.

"No." He said. "I'm thinking about someone else."

Someone else? I felt like he probably wouldn't elaborate, but I decided to ask anyways.

"Who's this someone else?" I asked. Akio sighed. It didn't seem like an annoyed sigh though. More like, he was longing for something. Maybe he was thinking about some super sporty, masculine girl. That seemed like the perfect match for him, but... apparently I was wrong.

"I'm thinking about my boyfriend." Akio said. "He's a quiet guy who spends all of his time alone and, now that I think about it, he kind of looks like Ren."

Boyfriend? So... Akio was gay? I suppose it made a bit of sense. He never talked to girls, he only knows how to interact with boys, he's comfortable with gay people because of his parents. He said so himself that he thinks boys are better than girls. Honestly, I was surprised I hadn't figured this out sooner.

"So you like the bookworm kind of guys?" I asked. I figured it would be best not to talk about the bombshell of a secret Akio had just dropped. The carpenter nodded, still in a lovesick daze.

"Yeah." he replied. "Something about him just made him seem, delicate. Almost like-" He cut himself off, snapping back to reality. "Great." He snapped, his cheeks turning red. "Your girlishness must be rubbing off on me."

He quickly stood up and headed towards the door, trying his hardest to hide his flushed cheeks. I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but Akio and I had grown a little bit closer.

 **Event 4:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I noticed Akio in the furniture store. He seemed to be admiring some of the wooden chairs.

"Hey Akio." I said. The carpenter looked over to see who was talking and nodded once before turning his gaze back to the chairs.

"Hey." He replied. I walked over to him.

"What are you looking at?" I asked. He pointed at closest chair.

"The person who made this stripped the screws completely." He said. "If they come loose, there's no way to fix them."

I wasn't sure what the first part meant, but I did get that he was criticizing the work. I also got that I shouldn't get the chair. I would trust the Ultimate Carpenter to know what he's talking about.

"So I guess you're good at carpentry." I said. "Being the Ultimate Carpenter and all." Akio nodded, finally looking away from the chair.

"Yeah." He said. "I think I'm pretty good at it." I nodded several times. This conversation already felt dead.

"What got you into carpentry?" I asked. Akio shrugged.

"Well," He began. "I tell everyone I got into it so I could use the big power tools and saws but..."

I could see that he was hesitating. Did that mean he wasn't sure if he could trust me? He had already shared one big secret to me, but... perhaps we weren't as close as I had thought. Akio sighed.

"I actually started so I could make a present for my boyfriend." He said. "And I must have been pretty good since Hopes Peak Academy noticed me."

So he was actually just a big lovesick romantic. I couldn't help but smile at the thought. Akio must have noticed.

"But you better not tell anyone about that!" He said. "I don't want people to think I'm some romantic sap." I nodded and held up my hand.

"I promise that your secret is safe with me." I said. This time, Akio nodded. I pointed at the chair that he had been looking at.

"So should I be worried about any of the other furniture in here?" I asked. Akio did a quick scan of the store with his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure all of this furniture was made by a drunk three year-old." He said. The two of us walked around the store and he showed me the mistakes made in each piece's construction. After we had finished, we both said goodbye and went our separate ways. I felt happy as I realized that the two of us had grown closer.

 **Event 5:**

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. Akio was standing outside.

"Oh. Uh... hey." He said nervously. It seemed like he wasn't sure what to do. It felt a little chilly out, so I let him come inside. He sat down on one of my chairs and I sat down in the bed across from him.

"So what's up?" I asked. Obviously he was going to need a bit of a push to start talking. Akio shrugged.

"I don't know." He replied. "I just needed to talk to someone, but... now I'm not sure what I should say."

"Well, I can wait until you find the words." I said. Akio nodded and we both sat for a bit. After some time had passed, Akio seemed to find his voice.

"I don't really care about this whole situation." He admitted. That was strange. Hadn't he been talking about missing his boyfriend before? Akio noticed my confusion and decided to explain.

"I mean, I would prefer not being around Asami or Nori. You know, girls like them are just..." His voice trailed off as he struggled to find the right words to use. After a bit he gave up on trying. "There is one person I like though."

Knowing his preference when it comes to liking people, I knew this wasn't going to be a profession of love, so...

"Is it Ren?" I asked. It did seem like Akio had a thing for quiet boys in glasses. The carpenter seemed surprised.

"Yeah. You're kind of right." He said. "I don't _'like'_ Ren, but he reminds me so much of my boyfriend." He sighed. "I just hope we'll all get out of here soon so I can see him again."

I nodded. Every single one of us had people waiting for us outside the city walls. We just needed to get out and get back to them. As I thought about this, I noticed Akio getting up.

"Sorry for bothering you with all this." He said. "I just needed to talk to someone and, even though you're a girl, I thought you were the best choice." He hesitated for a moment. "Actually, I should say that, because you're my friend, you were the best choice."

He moved over and placed something in my hand. "I got this in the Monomono machine. It was supposed to be a gift for my boyfriend, but I want you to have it instead."

I opened my hand and saw a small hammer key-chain. I thanked Akio and after saying goodbye, he went back to his room. I placed the key-chain on my table and went back to the bed. The covers were cold now, but I didn't mind. After all, I would choose making a friend over warm covers any day. Akio and I were friends now. Thinking about that made me happy, and I couldn't help but smile as I drifted out of consciousness.

 **Congratulations!**

 **Obtained Hammer Key-chain.**

 **Obtained Skill "Hammer Time"**


	39. Bessihiki Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate Hacker Bessihiki Madarai**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Bessihiki browsing the electronics store.

"Hey Bessihiki." I said, walking up to him. He didn't respond. Had he not heard me?

"Hey Bessihiki." I repeated. The hacker sighed and looked at me.

"I heard you the first time." He said.

"Oh. Sorry." I replied. Bessihiki sighed and turned back to the shelf he was looking at. It just looked like a bunch of wires to me.

"Do you know what this stuff does?" I asked him. He nodded.

"I use a lot of it when I'm hacking." He said. "Not that that's any concern to you."

"I guess you must really like being a hacker, huh?" I said, ignoring his comment. Surprisingly, he shook his head.

"Not really." He replied. "It wasn't exactly my dream job as a kid." He started moving over to the next shelf as he continued talking. This shelf looked like it had a bunch of timers on it. "In fact, I have a deep hatred for people who make a living through hacking."

What? But wasn't _he_ a hacker? Wouldn't that mean he hates himself? Before I had a chance to press this new issue, Bessihiki continued talking. Though, it didn't seem to be directed towards me.

"I wanted to be a programmer instead." He said quietly. "Just like him."

"Him?" I asked. Bessihiki looked over at me.

"You're still here?" He asked. "I answered your question didn't I?" I nodded.

"Yeah." I said. "But then you kept talking. About _him?"_ Bessihiki sighed, tapping his finger on the shelf.

"Yeah. _Him."_ He said. _"_ My cousin."

He seemed like he was willing to share a bit more on the topic. In fact, there was a ghost of a smile on his lips as he thought about his cousin.

"So your cousin was a programmer?" I asked. The hacker nodded.

"He wasn't the manliest person." He replied. "But he was a wiz with a computer."

The almost unnoticeable smile disappeared as Bessihiki's body became stiff.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this." He said, turning away. "I'm trying to find something, so get lost." He turned back to the shelf of timers. I decided it would probably be best to just leave him be. We seemed to be growing closer, albeit a very small amount. I didn't want to ruin that by being too pushy. Instead, I went back to my room.

 **Event 2:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I noticed Bessihiki in the dining hall. He seemed more out of it than usual.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, causing him to jump. After he had regained his composure, he turned away.

"Why do you care?" He asked, his finger tapping more fervently than before. I sat down next to him.

"Because you're my friend." I replied. He tilted his head to the side.

"When did that happen?" He asked.

"Well, even if you don't see us as friends now," I began. "We were probably friends at Hopes Peak before Monokuma took our memories."

Bessihiki was silent as he processed this. After a bit, he started talking.

"I'm thinking about my dad." He said, answering the question I had asked before.

"Do you miss him?" I asked, happy that he was opening up. Was this how reporters felt when they got an exclusive interview with a reclusive movie star? Bessihiki nodded.

"I used to spend a lot of time with him when I was a kid." He shared. "But after... a certain incident, I wasn't able to talk to him anymore."

He had hesitated for a moment when he talked about the incident. Had something really bad happened to his dad? I was pulled from my thoughts by the now silent room. Bessihiki had stopped taping his finger.

"I..." He began. "I'd rather not talk about this."

With that said, Bessihiki stood up and left the dining hall. How bad had this incident been? I felt bad for bringing up painful memories, but I was also glad that the two of us had grown closer. Feeling mixed emotions, I returned to my room.

 **Event 3:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I found Bessihiki browsing the electronics store again. He was looking at some cellphones.

"Do any of those work?" I asked, walking over to him. He looked up for a moment when I spoke, but turned back to the phones almost immediately after.

"Unfortunately not." He replied. "There are pieces missing from all of them."

I suppose that would make sense. Monokuma couldn't exactly have us calling for help. I felt an awkward silence beginning to take form, so I decided to stop it before it began.

"So what kinds of things do you hack Bessihiki?" I asked. Bessihiki shrugged, turning away from the shelf to face me and tapping his finger on his leg.

"Well, when I first started hacking I used what I knew about programming to hack basic things like cell phones, computers, my school files, and bank accounts."

I'm pretty sure those didn't count as basic things. He had listed them all in such a calm way. Did he even realize what he was saying? I took a breath to ask him, but it seemed like he still had more to say.

"But I never stole anything, and I never hurt anyone." He continued. "Hacking those things were just practice for-" He cut himself off. Practice for what?

"I have to go." Besihiki said, quickly making his way out of the store. Had he said too much? What had he been talking about? Confused, I made my way back to my room.

 **Event 4:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I found Bessihiki sitting by the window in the classroom. I walked over ans sat in the desk next to him. He looked over and sighed.

"Do you enjoy enjoy following me around all the time?" He said sarcastically, his finger tapping away like usual. I shrugged.

"I guess you're just more likeable than you think." I said. He must have expected me to have been insulted by what he said, since my response seemed to catch him off guard.

"I-I see." He stuttered, hiding his flushed cheeks by pulling his hood further over his face. We sat in silence for a bit, neither of us sure how to continue. I debated asking him about what had caused him to leave before, but decided against it. If he wanted to tell me, then he would.

"What's wrong with you today?" Bessihiki asked, breaking the silence. I tilted my head to the side.

"What do you mean?" I replied. Did I look sick or something. Bessihiki shrugged, a slight blush forming in his cheeks again.

"Well, usually you bother me with a bunch of questions." He explained. "But today you're not talking at all. I figured something was probably wrong."

Was he saying that he was worried about me? If anything, he was the one acting strangely. But if he wanted me to ask questions, then...

"In that case." I said. "I guess I'm kinda curious as to what you do as a hacker."

Bessihiki nodded, seemingly processing the question. He wasn't reluctant to answer anymore. In fact, he almost seemed to enjoy answering.

"Sometimes people try to hire me to hack into things." He said. "And there are even some amateur hackers the pretend to be me. But I always say no, and I shut down the imposters before they do anything stupid. Doing that takes up a lot of my time, but I need to make sure I'm not arrested."

That made sense. If an amateur hacker got caught while pretending to be the Ultimate Hacker, then Bessihiki would get the blame. But isn't the threat of arrest kind of a major thing for hackers?

"Why would you be a hacker then?" I asked. "If you don't want to be arrested?"

This time, Bessihiki seemed hesitant again. Did him wanting to be a hacker have to do with the incident he had mentioned? After a moment, the hacker stood up.

"Because there's still something I need to do." He said, before leaving me alone in the classroom. His answer had been vague, but I still felt like he had opened up to me. In fact, I think he was starting to enjoy our time together. We were finally starting to really grow closer.

 **Event 5:**

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. Bessihiki was standing outside. He was facing away from the door, as if he were about to walk away, but turned back when he heard the door open.

"Oh." He said. "Uh... hi..." He shifted his weight nervously, his gaze turned to the ground.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked. I felt like he wanted to ask, but wasn't sure how to. Without a word, he nodded and walked inside. I pulled a chair out for him, and sat down on the bed. Immediately after he sat down, Bessihiki's fingers began to tap on my table. I decided to stay quiet until he was ready to talk.

"Sorry." He said after a bit. "I'm not used to talking like this. I... I prefer just messaging instead."

"Take your time." I replied. "I don't have anywhere else to be this early."

Bessihiki nodded. After a few minutes, his tapping stopped.

"I don't want to be here anymore." He admitted.

"You mean in the city?" I asked. He nodded.

"I know that there's someone waiting for me back home, and I need to make sure I don't let them down." He sighed, but not in his usual annoyed way. This sigh seemed more sad.

"I don't know why Hopes Peak Academy would want someone with my talent." He said. "Hackers do nothing but hurt people."

"Maybe they saw your potential." I replied. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for me to explain myself.

"You said so yourself that you don't steal or hurt people like other hackers do. It sounds to me like you want to use your talent for good. Hopes Peak must have seen that you aren't like other hackers. The only person who can't see that you're one of the good ones, is you."

Bessihiki was silent again as he processed what I had said. After a moment, he nodded. It almost looked like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"One of the good ones, huh?" He said under his breath before turning to face me again. "You know, the only other person I open up to like this is my cousin. It, feels nice to be able to talk to someone again."

He stood up, and I noticed him place something on the table.

"But don't think I'll be making a habit of it." He said as he left. "Though I guess I could tolerate a few questions sometime if you're just dying to ask them." Once he finished saying this, he opened the door and left. I moved over to the table and saw a computer mouse key-chain. I picked it up and moved it to my bedside table before laying in the covers again. He had been pretty vague, but I could still see that Bessihiki and I had become friends. I still had some unanswered questions, but they could wait for another day. For now, I was fine with just knowing that he trusted me. Knowing that I had helped him find a little hope.

 **Congratulations!**

 **Obtained Computer Mouse Key-chain.**

 **Obtained Skill "Autocorrect"**


	40. Kinji Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate Jogger Kinji Saruwatari**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I noticed someone walking to the dining hall. Kinji? They looked like him, but I thought back to when I had gotten him and Ren mixed up before. Second guessing myself, I shouted out to them.

"Hey Ren!" I said. The person turned around. I felt my cheeks turn red as I realized that they weren't wearing glasses.

It was Kinji.

"Hey Yui!" Kinji said cheerfully as he ran over to me. I waved, still feeling the blood rushing to my cheeks. Kinji must have noticed this.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I called you Ren." I replied. Kinji shrugged.

"That's fine." He said. "It happens all the time."

I would expect as much. Despite their completely different personalities, the two of them were identical. If Ren didn't wear glasses, I would probably go crazy trying to figure out who was who.

"Even our parents get us mixed up." Kinji admitted, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Really?" I said. I would have thought that they'd be the only ones who could tell the difference. Kinji just nodded.

"Yep." He said. "I always wanted to use it to pull pranks, but Ren wouldn't help."

I sighed. The day Ren chose to wear contacts would be the day the twin's parents started losing their minds. It was a good thing Ren was there to help keep Kinji grounded. Though, his child like personality was definitely refreshing in the seriousness of the situation.

"So did you need something?" Kinji asked, once again pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly shook my head.

"No." I answered. "I just wanted to say hi." Kinji smiled and nodded.

"In that case," he began. "I'm going to head to the dining hall again. I'll see you later Yui!"

The last part had been shouted over his shoulder as he jogged over to the dining hall. With all of his energy, I couldn't even imagine the kinds of mischief he got into as a kid. The two of us had gotten a little closer; so maybe he could tell me more about his childhood the next time I saw him. Smiling, I made my way to my room. Kinji may have been full of energy, but I just wanted a nap.

 **Event 2:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found myself standing in the gym. I wasn't sure why I went to there of all places, but I also didn't have time to think about it.

"Hey Yui!"

Kinji ran over to me, and I almost had to jump out of the way to avoid being trampled. Luckily for me, he stopped just before that happened.

"Oh! Hi Kinji." I replied, somewhat startled. "Are you doing some running again?" Kinji nodded.

"Yep! I have so much energy right now!" He exclaimed. "Oh! Do you wanna race with me?"

"N-no thank you." The last thing I wanted was to race the Ultimate Jogger. I didn't want to look like a total fitness failure. "But I could just watch for a bit instead." Kinji smiled and nodded before running off again. I made my way to the bleachers and watched him run for a while. How did he have so much energy? After he had finished a very large amount of laps, he jogged over to me again.

"I don't know how you could just sit still like that." He said. "Doing that would drive me crazy."

"I take it you really like running?" I asked. Kinji nodded.

"Of course!" He exclaimed. "But it's not the only thing I like." He started to count on his fingers as he spoke. "I'm also good at a lot of track and field stuff. Like high jump, long jump, discus, and definitely 100/400 meter dash."

I had played all of those sports at school in gym class. I had been pretty good at the long jump, but compared to Kinji I probably had the physical abilities of a lead ball.

"So you're just naturally athletic then?" I asked. Surprisingly, Kinji shook his head.

"I just got a lot of practice." He explained. "I participated in each event twice."

Twice!? But how? Wasn't that against the rules?

"Why twice?"

"Once as me, and once as Ren." The athlete answered. "That way, Ren's grades wouldn't drop because of his gym mark."

That was nice thing to do for his brother, but wasn't it kind of cheating? He must have not seen it that way. However, cheating or not, his intentions were good.

"Isn't that a kind of one sided deal though?" I said. Once again, Kinji shook his head.

"Ren paid me back." He replied. "In fact, he did a _lot_ more for me."

A lot more? Like what? Just as I was about to ask him to elaborate, a large growling sound filled the room. Kinji started to blush.

"Whoops." He said. "I guess all of that running made me hungry." He smiled and started heading towards the door. "I'm going to get a bite to eat. I'll see you later Yui!"

I waved goodbye and watched him run out the door. After a moment, I realized that I was standing lone in the middle of the gym. Quickly, I walked back to my room, happy that Kinji and I had grown a little closer.

 **Event 3:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I saw Kinji browsing the grocery store. I waved, but he didn't seem to notice me. Undeterred, I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hello Kinji!" I said cheerfully. He must not have seen me, since he jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Oh! Hey Yui." Kinji replied. Something seemed to be off.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Like before, Kinji didn't seem to notice me. I asked again.

"Hm?" Kinji said, hearing the question this time. "Oh, um... yeah! Of course!"

Obviously, he was lying.

"What's bothering you Kinji?" I asked directly. Kinji sighed. He must have realized that I wasn't going to let up.

"Well..." He said. "When we were talking before, about me doing Ren's sports for him, it got me thinking..."

So the problem was related to Ren then? Not wanting to interrupt, I let Kinji continue.

"The way Ren repays me is doing my homework for me. So that I can go to all of my practices." Kinji explained. "And I've been thinking and... well... I think that I'm, jealous of Ren. I mean, athletic ability will only help you for so long. If you get injured, or you get too old, or you get sick, then that's it. But if you're smart, then you're pretty much set for life."

So he was worried that his talent was a fleeting one? Honestly, this insecurity had caught me off guard. He seemed like such a happy guy, and I couldn't imagine him being jealous of anyone! But nonetheless that seemed to be the case.

"Hey Yui?" Kinji said. I nodded, showing that I was listening. Kinji sighed, no trace of his usual happy self in his face. "I don't want you to worry about this. I guess the situation has just put me in a funk. But I'll be back to normal in no time!" He smiled, but I could tell it was forced. "This is my problem. Not yours. I shouldn't drag you into it."

Before I could even take a breath to argue, Kinji left. I had no idea he was feeling so bad! I guess that no matter how happy someone seems, they could still be suffering. I wanted to go and try to comfort him, but decided against it. He just needed some time to think. Instead, I went back to my room. Hopefully Kinji would be feeling better the next time I saw him.

 **Event 4:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I felt someone tap my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Kinji smiling back at me.

"There you are Yui!" He said. "I've been looking for you!"

He had been looking for me? For some reason, that made me happy. Now that he had my attention, Kinji started speaking.

"I wanted to apologize for being a complete buzzkill before." He said. "It's not like me, and I thought I should say sorry."

"It's fine." I replied. After all. No one can be happy all the time. "Do you always apologize to your friends for being sad?" Kinji shrugged.

"I probably would." He said. "If I had any friends."

What? Kinji didn't seem to be the kind of person to have no friends.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Kinji started to blush as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"Believe it or not," Kinji began. "I didn't really have many friends at school. The only people who spent time with me were my coaches during training, and Ren."

So Ren was his best, and only friend. Maybe he wasn't as bad of a guy as I thought. He was there for his brother. And Kinji was there for him.

"I can't imagine people not liking you Kinji." I said. Kinji's cheeks flushed even more.

"T-Thanks Yui." He said. "I think that maybe they were jealous. Or just didn't like me as a person. But I'm happy that you don't see me like they did."

Out of nowhere, Kinji pulled me into a tight hug. Now it was my turn to blush. He held the hug for a while, and I could hear his heart beating. It sounded nice. But the sound stopped abruptly as he pulled away.

"Alright, I gotta go now!" Kinji said, running off. "I'll talk to you later Yui!"

In a bit of a daze, I waved and started heading back to my room. Kinji and I had definitely gotten, um... closer. In both meanings of the word.

 **Event 5:**

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. The person who had knocked was Kinji, who still had his hand up to try again.

"Oh! Yui!" He said, quickly putting his hand down. "I was wondering if we could talk."

I sighed, both mentally and physically relieved. I had half expected it to be Monokuma at the door. I moved to the side, letting him in. I closed the door before gesturing for him to sit down in one of the chairs. He sat down and I moved to the bed, sitting down and turning to face him.

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked. Kinji thought for a moment before speaking.

"I'm not sure." He said. "I just wanted to talk... I guess"

Well that was helpful. He needed to talk, but he didn't know what to talk about? I guess it was up to me to choose a topic.

"What do you think of all this?" I asked. The question was random, but I needed to know. I had to see if anyone felt the same way as I did. Kinji shrugged.

"I don't like it." He answered. "But I'm not extremely worried about it either. Before this all happened, I was being bombarded by scouts. Even with Ren's help, I was having trouble deciding. The stress was really getting to me, but if what Monokuma said was true, I must have gone with Hopes Peak Academy. Something about that just seems... reassuring, you know?" He smiled, and I couldn't help smiling as well. It seemed like Kinji was always able to see the silver lining of a situation.

"It must be more than reassuring knowing you're the best at what you do." I said. Kinji nodded and laughed. He had a nice laugh.

"I'm just happy that Ren and I got to be together, even if it did end up getting us here." He said before pausing. He stood up and headed towards the door. I got up and put my hand on the door knob to open it for him. He put his hand on mine to stop me. "I'm also happy I got to meet you." He added. Before I could even comprehend what he had said, I felt his arms around me. He pulled me close to him in a tight hug. I could feel the warmth of his body and felt blood flushing to my cheeks. The moment was over quickly though and Kinji turned away, opening the door.

"Thanks for thinking of me as your friend." he said once he had stepped outside. I nodded, still shocked by what had just happened. I hadn't expected the hug, and I couldn't help but feel a bit dazed and confused. After a while I realized that the door was still open. I quickly closed it and sat back down on my bed.

Suddenly, I realized that something was in my hand. Looking down, I saw a small running shoe key-chain. Had Kinji given that to me during the hug? I placed it on the bedside table before crawling under my covers. I let myself fall into a deep sleep, still feeling warm from the hug. Feeling happy.

Feeling hopeful.

 **Congratulations!**

 **Obtained Running Shoe Key-Chain.**

 **Obtained Skill "Swift Feet"**


	41. Ren Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate Mathematician Ren Saruwatari**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I found Ren talking to Kinji. The jogger noticed me and after a quick word to his brother he started running over with Ren in tow. Ren could barely keep up with Kinji and he seemed to almost lose his glasses a few times. I expected Kinji to start talking, but at the last moment he pushed Ren ahead and ran off. Once he had gained his balance after the push, Ren turned to shout after his brother.

"Kinji! I swear to-" He cut himself off with a defeated sigh before turning to face me.

"What was all that about?" I asked, very confused by what had just happened. Ren shrugged as he fixed his glasses.

"Kinji told me that he want me to talk to more people." Ren explained. "I wanted to refuse, but it seems that is no longer an option."

I nodded. It seemed each of them looked out for the other in their own unique way. And now that I thought about it, despite their similar appearances, unique was the best word you could use to describe them.

"You guys almost seem like complete opposites." I said.

"And yet we're still constantly mixed up." Ren said. There was a hint of mental exhaustion behind the words.

"So it's not just me that does it?" I asked. Ren shook his head.

"No. Even our own parents got us mixed up." Ren replied. "Kinji tried to get me to use this fact to pull pranks, but I failed to see the appeal of tricking them."

So Kinji was a troublemaker? It's a good thing he had Ren to keep him out of trouble then. Though, the mathematician could learn to relax and have fun every once in a while.

"Well then." Ren continued. "Now that Kinji is no longer here, I see no point in continuing this conversation. Considering the small size of the area, I will no doubt run into you later, so I suppose I will see you then."

After finishing what I think was his way of saying good bye, Ren started walking away. I did the same, heading back to my room. It may have been just a bit, but I felt like Ren and I had grown closer.

Event 2:

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I found Ren sitting in the library. I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. I'd rather wait until I knew for sure which twin it was before saying any names. Granted, the library probably wasn't Kinji's ideal place to pass the time.

"Can I help you?" Ren asked, turning away from the book in front of him. I smiled.

"Just thought I should say hi!" I said before gesturing to the book. "What are you reading?"

I could see that Ren didn't want to have a conversation, but despite that he answered the question.

"It's a history book on Kyoto." He explained. "We are going to be attending school again once this situation has ended, so I thought I should continue studying. I'd advise you to do the same."

I hadn't really thought about what would happen when we got rescued. Or, if we got rescued. Would we go to Hopes Peak? Monokuma had said that we already went, but if he took our memories of it, then it would be the same as not going at all. Seeing that I wasn't responding, Ren continued.

"I doubt that what that bear said is the truth." He said, almost as if he had read my mind. "Stolen memories is something you'd find in an idiotic video game or book. It can't really be done. I believe he's just trying to make things more dramatic in this sick game of his."

I nodded. That did make sense after all.

"Considering your talent, you probably really like studying, huh?" I asked. Ren shrugged in response.

"Not especially. No." He answered. "But I really have no choice. It's not just my grades on the line."

He stopped speaking, a surprised look on his face. It almost looked like he had said something he shouldn't. I took a breath to ask him to explain, but there was no need to. Ren continued without the push.

"I do both mine and Kinji's homework." He explained, somewhat reluctantly. "In exchange, he does my gym tests."

I think I remembered Kinji mentioning that at one point. Though, Ren didn't seem as happy about the deal the two of them had. He shook his head and sighed.

"I know that doing this won't help him in the long run." He admitted. "But Kinji is guaranteed to succeed in life through his natural athletic abilities. The scouts don't care about his grades in math or history."

"It's still nice that you two help each other." I said. "And the extra work for both of you is what got you into Hopes Peak!" I was trying to help add a little positivity into the conversation, but Ren's expression just darkened.

"And into this situation as well." He said under his breath. Once he was finished speaking, he turned back to his book. "Nevertheless, I suggest you spend at least a bit of your time in here studying. It would be more productive than sitting around doing nothing."

I wasn't sure if he was implying something, but I could tell that the conversation was over. After a quick good bye, I left the library and headed back to my room. To sit around and do nothing.

Event 3:

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Ren. Surprisingly, he was in the gym, looking at a trophy case.

"Ren?" I said, walking up to him. "This is a surprise." He jumped when he heard his name, but relaxed pretty quickly.

"Oh... hello Yui." He said. Perhaps he was feeling anxious because of our situation. Maybe it would help if I got his mind off of things.

"What are you looking at?" I asked. Ren shrugged.

"Just a trophy case." He answered. "I was going to see if they had a school or city name on them, but they're all fakes created by Monokuma."

Wow. Monokuma was really a stickler for the details. But that aside, it seemed like Ren was willing to talk at least. I wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.

"I never really won many awards." I said. "They're more about skill than luck." Ren nodded slowly. Had he even heard what I said.

"I won several." He replied after a moment. Was he bragging? Or just making conversation? I wasn't sure how to reply, but Ren continued. "I was actually given the opportunity to graduate early because of them."

"Wow! Really?" I asked. I thought stuff like that only happened in movies. No one in my school was smart enough to graduate early. Ren had to be some kind of super genius. Once again, Ren nodded. This time he turned to face me as well.

"Yes. They offered several times, but I refused." He explained. "I didn't want to leave Kinji alone at our school."

So he turned down something like that for his brother? From the way they talked, I assumed Ren wasn't too fond of him, but I must have been wrong. Then again, I'm not one to talk. I was debating turning down an offer from Hopes Peak Academy before this all happened.

"But wouldn't Kinji still have a lot of friends there?" I asked. This time, Ren seemed to hesitate before answering, and it almost seemed like he was lying. Was he trying to hide something?

"Yes... he had many friends." He said uncertainly. "But..." Ren hesitated again, saying the next part under his breath.

"I didn't want to be alone either."

After clearing his throat, Ren turned away, his cheeks looking slightly red. Did he realize that I had heard him? Before I could respond, he fixed his glasses, starting to turn away.

"I have some things I need to take care of." He said. "I'll see you around."

And then he was gone, leaving me alone and confused. Why had he been so nervous when I talked about Kinji having friends? Was he jealous? Or... Oh well. I wouldn't know for certain unless I asked him. Instead of giving myself a headache trying to figure things out, I went back to my room, happy that Ren and I had grown a little closer.

Event 4:

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I noticed Ren by the train station. Remembering what had happened the last time we had talked, I ran over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hello Yui." He said without turning around.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked. This time Kinji did turn to face me.

"You and Kinji are the only ones here that approach me." He explained. "And Kinji's greetings are a lot more forceful than a tap on the shoulder."

That was definitely true. The first time I saw the two together, Kinji had slapped Ren on the back so hard that his glasses almost fell off. Though I doubt he did it on purpose.

"So what do you need?" Ren asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Oh!" I said, his directness causing me to lose my train of thought. "I... I wanted to ask you about something you did the last time we talked."

This seemed to surprise him. He waited silently for me to continue.

"Well." I said. "When you were talking about Kinji's friends, it seemed like you were trying to lie. I was wondering why."

Ren seemed to be thinking over his answer before speaking. After about a minute of suspense, he spoke.

"I was lying." He said. "Both Kinji and I never had many friends growing up. Kinji was always busy with practices, and I was always doing both mine and his homework. We didn't have time for friends."

So he had been trying to keep that a secret before. But why? It wasn't completely horrible or anything.

"But we always made time for each other." Ren continued, once again pulling me from my thoughts.

"Why couldn't you tell me this before?" I asked. Ren seemed surprised again, and his cheeks began to turn red.

"Well..." He said. "I, um..." He stopped and took a deep breath. "I see you as a friend to both Kinji and myself. I was worried that if you knew that we both had no friends growing up, you would... well... not want to be our friend as well."

Now it was my turn to be surprised. He saw me as a friend? I felt my own cheeks grow warm.

"You don't need to worry about that." I said. "I see you guys as my friends, and it would take something pretty horrible to change my mind on that."

Ren nodded, seeming relieved. We were both quiet for a while, not sure how to continue the conversation.

"I, uh..." Ren said suddenly. "Need to go get some food."

"And I was going to take a nap." I replied, matching the quick speed of his speech. In a bit of an awkward rush, we went our separate ways. Why was I even feeling so flustered? Was it because of what he said? Maybe I was just happy that we had grown so close. Many reasons flew through my mind as I made my way back to my room. Perhaps I really did need a nap to calm myself down.

Event 5:

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. Ren was standing patiently outside, quiet as the night itself. It was actually kind of unsettling.

"Can I help you?" I asked, curious as to why he would visit at such a late hour. Ren nodded.

"Well... Yes. Hopefully." He said. He gestured to my room. "Do you mind if I..."

He let his voice trail off before finishing the question. I nodded, since neither of us wanted to talk while standing out in the cold. Ren sat at my table and I sat on my bed facing towards him.

"So what's up?" I asked. Ren thought for a moment before replying. All of this suspense was starting to make me curious.

"Would you mind if I got something off my chest?" Ren asked. "Friends often vent to each other. Correct?"

I nodded, motioning for him to go ahead. Ren nodded and took a deep breath.

"I've lost all hope in our situation." He admitted. That seemed kind of dramatic.

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused. Ren shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"I mean that I don't think we're going to be rescued." Ren replied, breaking his usually proper speech style. "I almost wish that Hopes Peak Academy had never found Kinji and I. That's what got the both of us into this mess."

I wasn't sure how to respond. How could I? What do you say to someone who's claimed to have lost all hope? Luckily for me, Ren continued before I could say anything.

"I know that I could never kill anyone here." He said. "And even though I don't want to believe it, there are people that probably could. I'm an easy target since I'm too weak to defend myself. So..."

His sentence was cut off as Ren tried to hold back tears. The boy in front of me was nothing like the reclusive, proper, Ultimate Mathematician I had been speaking to before. But this state seemed more genuine. As if he wasn't trying to hide his feelings.

"I want us to be saved before I get killed." Ren said. "Because I don't want Kinji to be alone. I... I don't want to be alone."

Suddenly Ren stood up, moving towards me. The tears had started flowing now. He took my hands in his, kneeling down and looking me straight in the eyes.

"Please Yui." He said. "Promise me that if I become a victim, you'll take care of Kinji. He trusts you. And I trust you as well. So please..."

Once again, Ren's voice trailed off, overpowered by his sobs. I placed my hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry Ren." I said. "I won't need to do that, since no one is going to be killed. We're going to get out of here before anything like that can happen."

Hearing my words, Ren started to calm down. He was silent for a moment before wiping away his tears. Once he had relaxed a bit, he smiled.

"I guess hope is a result of irrational thinking." He said quietly. "I'll have to try it some time."

Now that he had regained his composure, Ren stood up, fixing his uniform as he moved.

"Thank you Yui." He said. "And I'm sorry for that outburst. That's not how a guest should behave." He took an item out of his pocket and held it out to me. It was a small silver book Key-chain.

"I want you to have this." He said. "It seems like something you'd like."

I smiled and took it from him. Once I thanked him, Ren nodded and moved to the door.

"I'm sorry for bothering you so late at night." He said. "But the visit definitely did help me. Thank you Yui." He opened the door before stepping out into the cold night air. "I'm glad you and I are friends."

Once he had finished speaking, he closed the door behind him. He had seemed like a completely different person. Was it because he was worried about Kinji? Or because he felt he could trust me? Maybe both? Either way, I felt like I had gotten to meet the real Ren Saruwatari. After I put the Key-Chain on my bedside table, I laid in bed, unable to stop smiling.

Ren and I were friends. For some reason, thinking that made me feel butterflies in my stomach. But I didn't mind them, and soon I fell into a deep sleep.

 **Congratulations!**

 **Obtained Book Key-chain.**

 **Obtained Skill "Rational Thought"**


	42. Isoya Free Time Events (Bonus)

_*These are the free time events of the characters in this fanfiction. Some of these plot points were mentioned in the actual story, but they will be mentioned here as well for the sake of consistency. Also, these don't take place at any specific place in the story, and may contain spoilers._

 **Spending time with the Ultimate ? Isoya Taiki**

 **Event 1:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I noticed Isoya outside of Missa's room. That seemed kind of creepy.

"Uh, Hey Isoya." I said walking over. "What are you up to?" Isoya turned to face me once he heard my voice.

"Good morning Yui." He replied. "Miss Missa had to use the washroom, so I am waiting for her to finish so we may continue our walk."

So he wasn't being all creepy and stalking her or anything? That was a relief. Now that that was cleared up though, I had no idea what to say. I shifted my weight as I tried my hardest to think of a way to break the silence.

"So you can't remember your talent, right?" I asked. Perhaps it was a bit of a rude question, but it was better than nothing. Isoya nodded slowly.

"Yes." He answered. "It seems that those memories are lost along with the ones of Hopes Peak."

So Isoya believed that Monokuma stole our memories. For some reason, him believing it made it even harder to doubt it. Then again, if he couldn't remember his talent, then I suppose not remembering some other things as well wouldn't be too unbelievable for him.

At the mention of Hoped Peak, Isoya's expression changed slightly. He looked slightly conflicted. Perhaps not being able to remember was bothering him more than I thought. I smiled, trying to cheer him up.

"Well, I'll try my best to help you remember Isoya." I said. "It's not like we don't have enough time to figure this out."

It was subtle, but I noticed a ghost of a smile on Isoya's lips. I guess my attempt to make him happy was a success.

"Thank you Yui." He said. "I do not remember much from my past. I do not even know if my talent is great enough to earn me the title of "Ultimate", but I do know that I am in this situation, and that I will make sure Monokuma pays for his sins."

Woah. The conversation took a bit of a detour there. Though, I suppose Isoya is the kind of guy to take everything seriously. If he had a vendetta against Monokuma, then I would stay out of his way.

"Oh! Hello Yui." The new voice belonged to Missa, who had just left her room. She looked at me, and then Isoya, and then back to me. "Are you joining us on our walk?" I shook my head.

"No. Isoya and I were just talking." I said. "I'll leave you guys to your walk now."

After saying goodbye, I headed back to my own room. I could still see that ghost of a smile on Isoya's usually emotionless face. I felt like the fact I had gotten to see it meant that the two of us had grown closer.

 **Event 2:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I saw Isoya in the shopping area.

"Hey Isoya!" I said, waving my arm so he could see me. It seemed to work since Isoya nodded in greeting. I jogged over and looked around. Something was missing.

"Where's Missa?" I asked. Isoya gestured towards the wall between the first and second areas.

"Miss Missa felt homesick and asked that I leave her to herself for now." He answered. I could tell that he was worried about her.

"Yeah." I replied. "I know that I miss my parents from time to time too. It's hard not to think of home when you're in a place like this."

Now that I thought about it though, Isoya had never talked about his family. What kind of home situation would you need to have to end up like, well... like Isoya?

"Do you miss your parents?" I asked. Isoya was silent for a moment before answering.

"I never knew my birth parents."

What!? So was he an orphan? But then he'd have foster parents, right? I felt the desire to pry a bit more, but it didn't seem right to make him share more than he wanted to.

"I see." I said. "Sorry for bringing it up." Isoya shook his head.

"There is no fault in asking questions when you desire answers." He said before becoming silent. I couldn't help but feel like I had offended him. Based on what he said next, Isoya must have noticed that I still felt uneasy.

"My parents left me at a young age." He explained. "However, I do not hate them for their actions. Every incident that has occurred in my life, has molded me into the person I am today."

I nodded slowly. That was a good way to look at things. It seemed like almost nothing could bother Isoya. Well, nothing besides Missa being unhappy. As I thought about this, Isoya began to speak again.

"I was hoping to find a gift that could improve Miss Missa's mood." He said. "So I must say goodbye."

I nodded and said goodbye. Isoya walked into one of the nearby stores, leaving me standing along outside. Instead of just standing there like an idiot, I walked back to the train station so I could head to my room.

 **Event 3:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit, I found Isoya in the art gallery. Like last time, Missa was nowhere to be found.

"Hello." I said. Isoya must have already known I was there since he simply nodded. I walked up to him and looked at the sculpture he was admiring. Or perhaps judging, since it was a crudely carved sculpture of Monokuma. I couldn't think of any reason for someone to use him as a muse. Unless they had planned to smash the sculpture afterwards.

"So what are you up to today?" I asked. Isoya shrugged.

"Miss Missa is with Asami, so I have no plans for the day." He answered. I nodded. That would explain why he was just staring at the sculpture here. He was obviously bored. The two of us simply stood in silence for a while, enjoying each others' company as we "admired" the art. Surprisingly, Isoya was the one to break the silence.

"Yui." He said. "What are your thoughts on death?"

Wait what? Where had that come from? Though, I guess considering our situation, it wasn't too strange of a question.

"Well, it's the end of someone's life." I replied. "I'd rather it not happen to the people close to me, but I know it will eventually. I guess it's easiest to just not think about it." Isoya nodded slowly as he thought about my answer.

"What about you?" I asked. "What are your thoughts on it?" Isoya answered quickly, almost as if he had expected me to ask him.

"Death is simply a part of life." He answered. "When someone close to you is lost, rather than mourn for them, you should honour them. Promise that you will never forget their effect on your life, and use their death as a reminder to cherish every day of your life as if it were your last."

Wow. For such a quick answer, it was very profound. I found myself a little speechless. Isoya was definitely mature, and there seemed to be a lot more to him than what he shared with the world.

"I am sorry." Isoya said after a while. "I suppose that question was inappropriate for this kind of conversation." I shook my head and smiled.

"It's fine." I reassured. "I think anyone would have that topic on the brain in a place like this."

Isoya nodded and once again I could see a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Yes..." He replied. "I suppose that is true." After he said this, Isoya bowed his head slightly in farewell. "I must leave now, but thank you for humouring my curiosity."

I said goodbye in a much less formal way, and watched Isoya leave the room. After one last glare at the statue, I did the same. I hadn't realized how much time we had spent staring at that statue, and now I couldn't help but notice how much my legs were hurting. Perhaps I needed to lay down for a while back at my room.

 **Event 4:**

I had some free time, so I decided to find someone to spend the day with. After wandering around a bit,

I noticed Isoya waiting for the train. I walked over and Isoya nodded in greeting when I stopped beside him.

"Good morning." He said. I returned the greeting. The two of us were quiet for a bit, but once again, Isoya broke the silence.

"Did our past conversation change your opinion of me?" He asked. The question caught me off guard.

"Huh?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"I casually brought up the topic of death." Isoya replied. "In our current situation, that would be a cause for alarm." I shook my head.

"If anything, the situation makes it less strange." I said. "And besides, it's not too strange of a subject. Friends just talk about stuff like that sometimes. It keeps things interesting."

I think the only cause for alarm was the look of surprise on Isoya's face when I said that. It was the most emotion I had ever seen him show.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked. Realizing that I had noticed his surprise, Isoya quickly turned away. After a moment, he had regained his composure.

"You..." he began. "You see me as a friend?"

That's what had surprised him? I thought that was obvious.

"Of course!" I said. "Why wouldn't I?"

Before Isoya could answer, the train pulled up. The two of us got on and sat down in two of the many available seats. Once we were comfortable, Isoya continued the conversation.

"My lifestyle before coming here did not allow me to have many friends." Isoya explained. "So I suppose the concept is more than strange to me."

He couldn't have any friends? I couldn't imagine what kind of lifestyle would be like that, but it probably wasn't smart to pry. Instead, I just smiled.

"Strange or not, you're my friend." I said. "So I guess you'll just have to get used to it." Isoya nodded slowly as the train pulled up to the second area station. The two of us got off and Isoya stood silently for a moment.

"Yui..." He said after a bit. "In regards to what I said before, about our casual conversation on the topic of death... You need not worry about me stealing a life in this killing game. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." I smiled and shrugged.

"You don't seem like a cold-hearted killer to me." I said. "So I wasn't stressing about it anyways."

Isoya nodded slowly, and then the two of us spent some time together browsing the different shops. Eventually we both got tired and returned to our rooms. Isoya and I had definitely grown closer.

 **Event 5:**

I was laying on my bed in my room trying to fall asleep, when I heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly leaving my warm sheets behind, I walked over and opened it up. The source of the sound was Isoya, who was waiting patiently outside.

"I apologize for the late hour of my visit." He said. "But there is something I must tell you." I nodded and let him inside, pulling out a chair for him to sit on.

"What's up?" I asked once he seemed comfortable. Isoya didn't respond right away, no doubt trying to figure out how to word his answer.

"I was thinking about our last conversation." He said. "About how you see me as a, friend."

I nodded, wondering where this was going. Isoya was definitely not acting like himself. He almost seemed nervous. That fact alone was creating a sense of suspense, and what he was saying definitely wasn't helping. However, I just had to be patient.

"Well..." Isoya continued. "I have not been entirely honest with you, and as your friend, I feel like that is not acceptable."

He hadn't been honest? What was he talking about? Isoya was quiet again as he tried to figure out how to continue.

"I... I am unable to tell you the truth of my past, out of a sense of duty to those that care for me," he explained. "But I do wish to tell you that I have done things that I am not proud of."

I could see that Isoya was struggling with all of this. It seemed that just telling me this much was taking a lot of courage. I decided to help him out.

"Don't worry Isoya." I said. "Everyone has secrets and memories that they don't want to share. I don't care if you have a few skeletons in your closet. You're my friend, and some bad things that happened in your past isn't going to change that."

Isoya had the same look of shock on his face from before, but it quickly relaxed into a smile. Not just a hint of one, but a full out smile.

"Thank you Yui." He said. The two of us were silent again, but then Isoya stood up. He moved over and held out his hand. Laying in his palm was a small key-chain. It seemed to be a small fedora. It kind of reminded me of the ones that gangsters wear in action movies.

"This was a prize I received in the Monomono machine when I was searching for a gift for Miss Missa." He said. "I would like you to have it. I thanked him and took the key-chain. Isoya smiled and moved towards the door. But before he opened it, he turned back towards me.

"There is one more thing I would like to say." He said. "There are people who deserve to die. Sinners, liars, cheaters, each of them bring nothing but negativity into this world. However, this... game, is wrong. Monokuma is forcing us to kill without meaning. I do not remember the time I spent with all of you at Hopes Peak Academy, but I doubt any of the people here have sinned so greatly that they deserve to suffer through this situation."

After he had said this, Isoya opened the door and left. I wasn't entirely sure why he had said that, but I think he was saying that he doesn't like our situation. I wasn't too fond of it either. After placing Isoya's gift on my bedside table, I laid in bed again. Although he hadn't told me any specifics, I felt like Isoya had really opened up to me. The two of us really were friends, and knowing that made me very happy.

And I hoped it made Isoya happy too.


	43. Remaining Free Time Events (Bonus)

_Hello fans of Dangan Ronpa, City of Despair!_

 _So, firstly, I would like to apologize for saying that I was going to finish the free time events several times, and then never doing so. The reason for this is because I have started writing an original novel. I kept telling myself that I would finish the free times, but I think I should stop lying. So, rather than leaving you guys with no information, I've put together the information I have on the pasts of the characters that are left. These bullets are separated into what each of the characters would talk about each time they met with Yui in the events. The last point is what they would discuss when meeting Yui in her room, and then the last part is what charm they would give Yui._

 _I'm sorry that I didn't write these out like the others. I also hope that you aren't angry at me for doing this in this way. I just figured that this would be better than leaving you all waiting for the next Free Times to come out when I knew I wouldn't be writing them._

 _WARNING! Major spoilers below. Please finish reading City of Despair before reading these._

Koharu Koijima, Ultimate Artist:

-When she was in kindergarten, she got in a car accident. She hit her head very hard and fell asleep for a very long time (3 month coma). When she woke up, everyone at school stayed away from her. She found it difficult to understand when the teacher taught them numbers and the alphabet. The only class she understood was art. That's when she met her best friends! They're very nice, and they never left her alone. (She had hallucinations that her drawings came to life. Perhaps it was the trauma of the accident mixed with the hit on the head mixed with her lonely feelings). She'll go into a daze and the main character will leave.

-When the main character asks who her friends are, she'll start introducing them. There's Erza, Ember, Spyrix, and Gnome. The main character will say that those are strange names for kids, and Koharu will say "Yeah, I guess they would be weird human names. But my friends aren't humans, they're my drawings. Erza is the queen of the fairies, Ember is a phoenix, Spyrix is a tiny dragon, and Gnome is..." The main character guesses that they're a gnome. "No, he's a dwarf, but his mother was a gnome, so he kept the family name." The main character says "So these are all drawings you drew in kindergarten?" And Koharu shakes her head. "That's when I made them, but they're still with me now. Erza is sitting on my shoulder, Ember is sleeping in my room, Spyrix is standing next to me, and gnome is behind you." The character doesn't want to seem rude, so they nod and say "I can't seem to see them." Koharu will smile and say "Only I can see them because I made them. But if you want to talk to them, I can talk for you! They all really want to know more about you!" The main character humours her.

-Her teachers suggested she take medicine or get some help, but her parents said that if having "Imaginary friends" will help her stay happy, then that was fine for them. The main character asks if Erza, Ember, Spyrix and Gnome are her only friends, and Koharu says that she has lots of friends that visit, but those four are her best. They never leave her side.

-Once she got older, her parents weren't as sure about her "imaginary friends." They took her to get some help. They gave her some medication, and when she took it, they disappeared. She tried to draw her friends like she usually did, but since she couldn't see them, she couldn't draw them. She felt really lonely when that happened, so she stopped taking it. Her parents seemed angry at first, but she made a deal with them. She said that if she didn't have to take the medication, then she wouldn't talk to her friends in public.

-She's pretty oblivious to their current situation. As long as her friends are there to support her, then she's fine. She's happy she got to go to Hopes Peak Academy, even if she can't remember it, because by going there she met Yui. She says "I know I... no... _we_ will get out of here, because I have my friends supporting me. Erza, Ember, Spyrix, Gnome and Yui!" She smiles and Yui smiles too.

CHARM: Painters Palate

Nori Ayuma, Ultimate Actress:

-She started acting at a very young age. She was the star of every performance she auditioned for. It was obviously because she was better than everyone else :p

-She was the most popular girl in all of her classes, and in her later school years, many talent scouts came asking for her. Because of this, she was able to act in many movies, even as a young child.

-She became a drama queen. If things didn't go her way, she'd leave. She believed everyone existed simply to do what she wanted them too. She pretty much believed she was the centre of the universe.

-When she got older, she found that the movies she did were more for an adult target audience. She didn't appreciate the uncomfortably tight sailor uniforms, but she never had to do anything indecent, so she was fine with it.

-She hates the situation that she's in, and she can't believe that her agent or fans haven't come to save her yet. She is fed up with everything. She says "I was so amazing that even Hopes Peak Academy wanted me! You think that at least they would have the decency to put an end to this."

CHARM: A star

Missa Johnouchi, Ultimate Pianist:

-She started playing piano when she was three. She was very good at it and became famous as a piano prodigy. She was playing at concerts by the age of four, and learned how to read music before she learned how to read words.

-When she was walking home from her lessons, some men grabbed her and held her captive. The kidnappers had locked her in a closet. She was young, but she wasn't naive. She spent the whole time in fear that they would try to do... indecent things. They wanted her parents to pay a ransom. After two days of talking to police and trying to determine what to do, her parents paid the money.

-Afterwards, she became extremely claustrophobic. People tried to talk to her, but she couldn't get herself to trust them. She didn't want to be alone, but she felt safer that way.

-As she got older, she tried talking to people, hoping to overcome her fear. She did make one friend, an energetic boy who had been held back a few years. They were friends for awhile, but then he had to switch schools.

-She hopes that what Monokuma said about them going to Hopes Peak is true, because that meant even if she doesn't remember it, she was able to spend time with her lost friend, and she also got to make new friends. She doesn't like the current situation, but she thinks that it might be a chance to overcome her fear.

CHARM: Music note

Michiyo Yoshikuni, Ultimate Baker:

-She started baking in order to make friends at school. She would bring in cookies for everyone. At first they tasted horrible, but she got better at it.

-She didn't make many friends at school because she would be very blunt with her opinions and they didn't like it.

-She opened a baked goods stand at her school, baking for the other students. She made a lot of money.

-She once burned her arm on the side of the stove when she was younger. She still has the scar, which is why she is always wearing long sleeve shirts.

-She's indifferent to the current situation. In fact, she finds it kind of boring. But as long as she has ingredients to bake, she's fine. She wonders if she baked for everyone at Hopes Peak.

CHARM: A cupcake

Koizumi Saki, Ultimate Forensic Scientist:

-She loves watching crime dramas. She loves the thrill of trying to figure out who the killer is before it's revealed.

-Her dad was the head of forensics in the police force, so she had access to a bunch of investigative equipment. Like luminol spray, and finger print powder.

-She actually helped her dad solve some cases in the past, which must have been why Hopes Peak Academy wanted her.

-She specializes in murders, but she also enjoys trying to solve thefts, fraud, identity theft, and other various crimes.

-She's pretty excited about their current situation. She doesn't like the idea of people killing people who are apparently their classmates, but she is confident that she'll be able to figure out who the killer is.

CHARM: Magnifying glass

Hamano Hatsuhara, Ultimate Magician:

-He spent his choldhood performing on the street, scaming people for their money.

-He's dated every one of his assistants and each time he broke their hearts.

-He's already extremely rich from his shows, but he still tries to scam people just for the fun of it.

-He doesn't ever think about the consequences of his actions, and because of this he doesn't have many friends. Except those who only like him for his money.

-He doesn't like the current situation. He would rather be at home, and not with these idiots. He doesn't understand why he would say yes to Hopes Peak Academy. Why would he go to a school offering success if he's already successful.

CHARM: Top hat

Asami Tanno, Ultimate Basketball Player:

-Whenever she wasn't practising, she was doing homework in order to keep up her grades, so she wouldn't get much sleep.

-In order to get her energy up before a game, she would drink a lot of energy drinks to get an energy burst. As soon as she got home she would crash.

-She won several spelling bees during school, in which she won money for her basket ball equipment.

-The reason she kept up her grades is because her parents told her that she could only continue playing basket ball if she did.

-She doesn't like the current situation. She has way to much free time on her hands. She isn't sure what she's supposed to do all day. She wonders if she had any free time while attending Hopes Peak. The main character offers to spend time with her once they got out of there. And to go see one of her games.

CHARM: Basketball

Saruwatari Kureno, Ultimate "Vet":

-(Fake) When he was little, he had always dreamed of going to Hopes Peak. He decided that he would try his best to get good enough at something in order to make it in. He chose being a vet because he loves animals.

-(Fake) He worked really hard at developing his "Ultimate" talent. He would rescue small animals that were injured, and he even nursed his best friend's dog back to health.

-(Fake) He was super happy when he got his letter to attend Hopes Peak, and he hopes that he will be able to remember their time there soon.

-(Fake) He started his own animal care group on his street where he would nurse the animals people brought. He's personally saved 221 animals.

-Their current situation reminds him of his favourite T.V show. He wonders if the mastermind watched the show as well. (He is the only character that doesn't mention Hopes Peak in his last free time event) CHARM: Teddy bear with a stethoscope


	44. Teaser

The room was dark and as silent as death. With the final trial finished, and the survivors flown off to safety, there was no longer any lurking threats to worry about. It seemed that hope had finally triu-

"Puhuhuhuhu."

With a single click, a spotlight illuminated the darkness. Standing in the center of the beam was a boy who seemed to be in his late teens, wearing an oddly colored suit. Half white, and half black. Covering his face, was a Monokuma mask bearing a sickening grin.

"Hope isn't as strong as you think y'know. It doesn't matter what you do, despair is inevitable."

The boy walked over to a throne, the spotlight seemingly following him as he moved. He sat down, leaning back with a relaxed sigh before crossing his legs.

"I see you've been reading up on the Monocity Incident. It truly was a tragedy, huh? Well, tragic because Junko was actually killed this time. Losing that brain and the USB caused quite a bit of trouble for the rest of us. Oh! I guess I should have said spoiler alert, huh? Though, what kind of person skips to the last chapter without expecting one or two spoilers? I'd say someone that does that deserves to get things spoiled, don't you agree?"

He stretched, his black and white vest almost unbuttoning as it was pulled tight from the movement. Once he lowered his arms again, the boy sighed.

"Well, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here, right? You thought that the story was over? Well, it _is_ true that everything has to end; that's inevitable. But, there's another chapter to this particular story. Or, more than just one I suppose. Actually, I might as well just be blunt about it and say that there's enough for an entire sequel. Now that I have to help clean up that doctor's mess, things are gonna get interesting again. New victims, new killers, new locations, and a few familiar faces as well to help appeal to the fans, and… Oh! I guess I didn't introduce myself yet, did I?"

The boy tilted his head as the light began to dim, leaving only the red glow of his mask's sickening grin, and despairing eye.

"You can call me the Mastermind."

 _DANGANRONPA: INEVITABLE END – COMING SOON_

 _(Updates will be posted in the announcement section of the writer's profile)_


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